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Premium Italian School. 16th century. 'The Holy Family with Saint Jo…
Italian School. 16th century. 'The Holy Family with Saint Jo…
Lot no. 31
Description
Italian School. 16th century.
'The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist'
Oil on copper. Accompanied by its original frame in carved and gilded wood from the period.
36 x 27,5 cm.
Frame measurements: 55,5 x 45 cm.
With an exceptional period frame in fine gold, carved at its four miters with four interlaced fleurs-de-lis referring to noble provenance and featuring a craquelure that lends it an additional pedigree, this copper painting presents, in its composition, the Virgin at the center, in an attitude of extreme care, enchantment, and adoration as she watches over the sleep of her Son resting in her lap.
With one hand she caresses his head, and with the other she sets down the book she had been reading to him, under the watchful gaze of Saint Joseph, who remains silent and vigilant, giving the impression of protecting them from behind. On the left, Saint John the Baptist as a child also imposes silence by placing a finger to his lips so as not to interrupt his cousin’s sleep.
A religious scene based on the famous painting Raphael created for the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome around 1511–1512, today kept in the Condé Museum in Chantilly, yet rendered here with the artist’s personal interpretation. It also closely recalls one painted and signed by the Italian Lavinia Fontana in 1591, now in the Borghese Gallery in Rome, as well as another of her works preserved in the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
Of clearly Mannerist style: an exaggerated gesturality of fingers and hands, the same languid and relaxed posture of the sleeping Child, the “Correggesque” sweetness with which the painter endows the figures, and the exquisite technique displayed in the vivid colors, even in the curtain that serves as the background, despite the need for a superficial cleaning of aged varnish.
The figures stand out against a black background in which only a green curtain and half a window are illuminated, while the main beam of light is directed toward the central scene.
A large platform of granite and marble, in the Italian manner, supports the Mother and her Child, giving the impression of the solidity of the Temple of Solomon and of sacred architecture.
This painting radiates tranquility, as well as dignity and harmony, and conveys a profound sense of religiosity, ideal for devotion and contemplation in any collection of significance.
Provenance:
- Private collection. Barcelona. From mid 20th century.
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