Ritratto di famiglia in un esterno: Giuseppe D’Alì e Rosalia Bordonaro con i figli nel 1858

This paper presents the historical background of a family portrait by an unknown artist from the second half of the 19th century, held in a private collection in Trapani. Analysis of the work provides a basis for revisiting the histories of two of the most influential families of the Sicilian upper middle class: the D’Alìs on the one hand and the Bordonaros on the other. The painting has remained unpublished until now, and this essay aims to make this significant and rare work by a currently unknown artist accessible to scholars and the scientific community.