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(Pesaro, 1627 – 1705)
Madonna and Child
Oil on canvas, cm. 98x81
Expertise of the historian E. Negro
NOTES: Publication of the catalog of works from the Intermidiart collection. Expertise Emilio Negro. Certificate of Guarantee and Lawful Origin. Artwork with no frame:
This interesting painting was traced back to the catalog of Giovanni Venanzi da Pesaro (Pesaro, 1627 - 1705), by the historian Emilio Negro with a card written to the owners:
“ … The painting is in a good state of legibility and is enriched by the beautiful frame; represents a tender iconographic subject widely disclosed by the Christian tradition, illustrated here following an archaic and well-proven procedure that wants Mary and the infant Savior at the center of the canvas as interpreters of a delicate representation capable of stimulating the most sincere feeling of devotion in the regard: in this specific case, the child Jesus is portrayed standing on his mother's knees, tenderly supported by the caring hands of his Mother; Mary has brown hair and is suitably dazzled with the usual rosy dress, the veil over her head and around her neckline, and the large cloak that covers her legs. It will be helpful to point out that the vision of the infantile naked body of the Messiah who became man coincides with a punctual iconic occurrence, it is in fact a pictorial device disclosed by Christian iconography, essential for revealing to the faithful the dual nature of God, the celestial one, manifested by the two fingers of the blessing right hand and by the serene luminosity emanating from his childish figure; the earthly one, equally confirmed by the tender nudity. The scene is set against a deliberately dark backdrop, a necessary choice to give the right emphasis to the intensity of the gazes of the two protagonists, the smoothness of the complexions and the soft scaling of the folds of the fabrics. Therefore, from the point of view of the more properly stylistic characteristics, we are faced with a singular work created by a talented painter active in the seventeenth century in which a classicist figurative culture is evident, manifestly central-Italian with clear Rene ancestry and to a greater extent Cantarine and Guercinesque influences, all stylistic features that betray direct contacts with the most learned Roman and Bolognese figurative culture of the seventeenth century. It is an elegant pictorial lexicon, renewed and enriched by the evident contacts with central Italian and Bolognese painting, as revealed by the particular captivating physiognomies, the soft and warmed colors and the calm classicism of the figures: these are the characteristics of the work in question that show us that we are in the presence of a painting executed by a talented artist active in the Marches and Emilia during the full seventeenth century, aimed at an eclectic culture in which there is no lack of vaguely Caravaggesque suggestions in the rounded shapes of the characters and in the warm tones of the colours. For these reasons, I believe it is possible to return this Madonna and Child to Giovanni Battista Venanzi (Pesaro, 1627-1705), an artist from the Marches by birth, a pupil of the aforementioned Guido Reni, Simone Cantarini and also of Guercino and Benedetto Gennaro. To confirm the authenticity of the painting, compare the canvas in question with other paintings by Venanzi, for example the St. Anthony of Padua adoring the Child (Parma, church of S. Cristina), the Marriage of the Virgin (Parma, Pinacoteca Nazionale) and the pendant with the Washing of the feet and the Magdalene at the feet of Jesus (Pesaro, Musei Civici: C.Giardini-E.Negro-M.Pirondini, Dipinti e depositi della Pinacoteca Civica di Pesaro, Modena, 1993, p 210, nos. 250°-250b), all canvases, like ours, in which in fact emerges an accurate painting, with tender and seductive shapes, typical qualities of the best production of Venanzi (cited Emilio Negro, expertise).
With regard to its state of conservation, the canvas is in fair general condition considering the age of the painting, the pictorial surface is dirty and in patina, with and with yellowed and oxidized paint. You can see - in Wood's light - some scattered restorations with unveiling and oxidation of the pictorial surface. There are no serious conservation problems and the original canvas has an old relining. The frame may have been replaced at the time of the relining. The measurements of the canvas are cm. 98 x 81. The painting is sold without a frame, despite the fact that it is - as mentioned above in the expertise - embellished with a beautiful frame from the 19th/20th century (?), made of a chest of drawers in the Renaissance style, gilded and black lacquered (frame size cm 112 x 95 x 6 approx., presence of defects).
Provenance: Coll. private
Publication:
? Unreleased;
? The Myths and the Territory in Sicily with a thousand cultures. UNEDITED QUADRERIA general catalog of paintings from the collection of the cycle "Myths and the territory", Edition, Lab_04, Marsala, 2023.
Upon request, the buyer can request the purchase of the aforementioned frame (as shown in the photo), (the dimensions of the frame are approx. 77 x 62 x 6 cm.), for € 1,500.00.
We also guarantee careful packaging with an external wooden crate and internal bubble wrap/cardboard/polystyrene (packaging cost approximately €100.00) and tracked shipping (€100.00 Italy). For export, the work is subject to a request for a Certificate of Free Circulation (European Community) or a Certificate of Export (Extra Community Transport), at the export office (Superintendency of the territory) with the times and costs burdened ( €450/€900, all inclusive: shipping, packing and export parts).
The shipment could be delayed by a few days/weeks for logistical and administrative reasons. 67458545
