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65 - Orazio De Ferrari – Saint Peter – oil on canvas, 98 x 74 cm
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Estimate €4,000 - €8,000
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Description
Orazio De Ferrari – Saint Peter – oil on canvas, 98 x 74 cm The painting depicts Saint Peter in a moment of intense spiritual contemplation. The saint, shown in half-length with his hands clasped and his gaze turned upwards, emerges from a deeply dark background, creating a composition of powerful devotional impact. At the lower edges of the composition, the keys – the traditional iconographic attribute of the Prince of the Apostles – are faintly visible, confirming his identity. The work is a significant example of the painting of Orazio De Ferrari, one of the most original figures of the 17th-century Genoese school. The construction of the figure, modelled through intense chiaroscuro, fully reveals the artist’s assimilation of Caravaggio’s style, reinterpreted through a typically Ligurian sensibility, characterised by a softer modulation of light and a profound emotional engagement.Of particular quality is the naturalistic rendering of the aged face, constructed with extraordinary attention to atmospheric tones and the textural quality of the flesh and the long white beard. The light, coming from the side, sculpts the wrinkles on the face and the gnarled hands of the saint, emphasising his intense spirituality and lending the composition a strong contemplative tension. Equally refined is the treatment of the ample folds of the cloak, brought to life by a confident and vibrant brushstroke that reveals the artist’s full expressive maturity.The close-up framing of the figure, the simplicity of the composition and the focus of the narrative interest exclusively on the psychological intensity of the protagonist bear clear parallels with the religious works of Orazio De Ferrari, in which religious sentiment is expressed through a language of great emotional immediacy and refined pictorial quality.In terms of its compositional structure, luminosity and naturalistic sensibility, the painting ranks among the most successful interpretations of the devotional theme produced by the Genoese master, bearing witness to the high standard achieved by Ligurian painting in the first half of the 17th century. Framed.
See original version (Italian)
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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
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