FR EN
an image of a painting of jesus being taken from the cross
Featured lot selected by the auctions House.
Premium Dams Casa d'Aste

43 - Nicolas Tournier – Christ and the Adulteress Oil on canvas 1…
See original version (Italian)

Estimate €40,000 - €60,000
Sale commission
Description
Nicolas Tournier – Christ and the Adulteress Oil on canvas 126 × 174 cm The painting depicts the Gospel episode of Christ and the adulteress as recounted in the Gospel of John (8:1–11). At the centre of the composition, Christ, bent towards the ground, points to the ground on which he is about to write, in response to those who ask him to judge the woman caught in the act of adultery. On the left, the adulteress, elegantly dressed and standing in a posture of contrition, is flanked by two armed guards; on the right, two male figures witness the scene, contributing through their gestures and glances to the atmosphere of suspense that precedes the famous pronouncement: ‘Let him who is without sin cast the first stone at her.’ The tightly composed scene, the refined psychological characterisation of the figures, the elegance of the drapery and the intense colour scheme all point to the culture of Roman Caravaggism and, in particular, to the work of Nicolas Tournier. A particularly significant comparison can be drawn with the famous *Sinite parvulos* in the National Gallery of Ancient Art in Palazzo Corsini in Rome, a key work from the painter’s Roman period. Indeed, both compositions share a similar organisation of space into groups of figures, the monumentality of the main figures, affinities in facial features, and a use of light capable of gently modelling the forms without resorting to the more dramatic chiaroscuro contrasts of early Caravaggism.In his expert report, Pierluigi Carofano recognises the painting as a work ‘undoubtedly by the hand’ of Nicolas Tournier, noting that it adheres ‘both in style and in composition “à la Manfredi”’ to the second-generation international Caravaggism. The scholar also emphasises the ‘austere nature of the figures’ expressions, and the intimate and subdued nature of the narrative’, and identifies certain elements particularly characteristic of the painter’s style: the rendering of the hands in a ‘stereometric, angular’ manner, the precise rendering of fabrics and surfaces, and the facial features of the bearded elderly man on the right, considered a veritable ‘Tournier signature’. Carofano also draws attention to the distinctive ‘metaphysical’ drapery of Christ’s robe, which helps to lend the scene that contemplative and suspended quality so characteristic of the French master.Professor Emilio Negro has also expressed his agreement with the attribution of the painting to Nicolas Tournier, confirming the work’s connection to the French master. The painting is also featured in *European Paintings: Between Collecting and the Antiques Trade*, edited by Antonello Governale, where the elegance of the garments, the intensity of the colour palette and that ‘more subdued vision of Caravaggism, softened by Valentin’s influence’, which so well characterises the work’s artistic language. In the same publication, the connection with the *Sinite parvulos Corsini* is once again emphasised, through the ‘identical division of space into zones’ and the recurrence of models typical of Tournier’s repertoire.For stylistic reasons, Carofano proposes a date of around 1625, a period when Tournier, whilst still influenced by the teachings of Bartolomeo Manfredi, displayed a growing affinity with the painting of Valentin de Boulogne, though distinguishing himself through a ‘more refined and smooth’ style.Expert report by Professor Pierluigi Carofano. Attribution report by Professor Emilio Negro. Bibliography: A. Governale (ed.), Dipinti europei tra collezionismo e antiquariato, Altamura Editrice, entry no. 11, pp. 70–75, with attribution to Nicolas Tournier. Reference bibliography: A. Hémery, Nicolas Tournier 1590–1639. Un peintre caravagesque, exhibition catalogue, Toulouse, Musée des Augustins, 29 March – 1 July 2001, Toulouse 2001. P.-F. Bertrand, S. Trouvé (eds.), Nicolas Tournier and Caravaggesque Painting in Italy, France and Spain, proceedings of the international conference, Université de Toulouse, 7–9 June 2001, Toulouse 2003.
See original version (Italian)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale Paintings and Drawings from the 15th to the 19th century
Auction location
Auction time 10/29/2026 at 3:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like