Saint Paul Hermit And Saint Anthony Abbot Oil On Canvas 17th Century

The Preaching of St. John Baptist

Oil painting on canvas. The painting can be traced back to the sphere of Pier Francesco Mola, known as il Ticinese, a painter active in Italy in the 17th century whose production included at least two canvases with the same subject (at the National Gallery in London and at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Foundation in Lugano ). In these works by Mola, until then predominantly a landscape painter, the human figure began to take on a primary role with respect to the landscape, but the attention to the naturalistic element always remained alive throughout the production of this artist, who always sought a right relationship between the figures and the background. This balance is found in the work presented here: the figures are placed within the landscape, well distributed in spaces and on different levels of depth, and interacting with the naturalistic elements. The figure of the Baptist is sitting on an isolated and barren rock; the crowd listening to the Prophet, arranged in a semicircle in the foreground, from behind or in profile, almost blends in with some barren trees and the sparse and poor vegetation around; in the distance, on the right and indicated by the Baptist, Christ advances, a shaded and blue figure in the equally shaded and blue landscape. Restored and relined at the end of the 19th century, the painting is presented in a gilded frame from the second half of the 19th century.

Cherubs' Game

Oil on canvas. In the depicting scene, three cherubs are play-acting: one of them is wearing a smiling mask and is trying to scare his mate, while the last one is dressed up like a pilgrim. 18th century.

Oil painting on canvas. Northern Italian school of the 18th century. The two lively compositions of variegated flowers are placed one in a copper basin, the other in a basket; they are made with different flowers in the two canvases, although in both they are multicoloured, standing out well against the dark and dark background. Restored and relined, the two paintings are presented in stylish frames.

Oil on canvas. Lombard school of the seventeenth century. A smiling young girl is portrayed in an elegant black dress, embellished with lace on the neckline and a play of red and green laces and ribbons on the sleeves, which match the red embroidered petticoat; she wears her jewels around her neck, wrists, ears, in the hairstyle of her hair, where the austerity of pearls is lightened by colored ribbons; she holds a bouquet of flowers in her hand, which emphasizes her gracefulness and grace. Restored and relined, on the second canvas there is written, probably a copy of the original on the first canvas, which indicates who the young woman is: \\\"Margh.a D. Gridonia Gonz. Agnella - Soada Maffei - D\\\'etta Anni XVIII\\\", followed by a coat of arms with the initials C FAS This writing, in addition to defining the name and age, highlights the young woman\\\'s belonging to the College of the Virgins of Jesus in Castiglione delle Stiviere, founded in 1608 by the Marquise Guidonia Gonzaga together with the two sisters Cinzia and Olimpia, all nephews of San Luigi Gonzaga. This college had the purpose of imparting an education to young noblemen or young people from good families, who, with the dowry donated to the college, contributed to the sustenance of the same. The portrait has minor flaws. It is presented in an ancient, non-coeval frame, with small shortcomings.

Copy from Guido Reni

Oil painting on canvas. The work is one of the numerous replicas, with some variations, of the famous subject created by the famous Bolognese painter Guido Reni (1574 -1642) and his workshop. The composition, which sees the Virgin in prayer bent to adore the sleeping Child, is considered an invention of the brilliant vein of Reni, which, following the great success among collectors of the time, was then taken up by other authors of the seventeenth century, among which the name of Giovan Battista Salvi known as "Il Sassoferrato" stands out. The two most famous variants of this fascinating scene see the Virgin with her hands joined in prayer, adopted by Salvi, or the one with her hands on her chest, like this one, typically by Reni. Other variations concern the position of the head of the sleeping Christ Child, turned upwards as in this version, rather than reclining to one side; finally the background fabrics change. However, even in this replica the intensity of the scene stands out: it is transversely occupied by the body abandoned in repose of the child, where the divine nature is subject to the human one in sleep; above it, inclined in a protective and at the same time contemplative gesture, the body of Mary, which expresses all the maternal tenderness but also, in the gesture of the hands, the adoration of the incarnate mystery represented by the little son. The lively colors of the fabrics - the pillow on which Jesus is laid, the curtain behind it, the Mother's clothes - bring out the brightness of the flesh tones. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a late 19th century frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Portrait ofAustria Maria Theresa of Habsburg (1717 - 1780), who in 1740 became the first (and only) woman of the House of Austria to inherit the government of the vast estates of the Habsburg Monarchy, becoming empress, and was the founder of the House of Habsburg -Lorraine, the dynasty that governed the fate of the Austrian dominions until the First World War. There are numerous portraits of her, in different ages: here already in old age, the empress is in any case depicted in all her imperial splendour, wearing elegant dresses rich in jewels, a golden mantle trimmed with ermine, a tiara on head and with the crown of his imperial house leaning on his side, to remember his role. The work, on the first canvas, is presented in a coeval frame.

Oil painting on canvas. The biblical episode depicted refers to the story of Daniel, the prophet in the court of King Darius the Mede who, for having prayed to his God, was condemned to be thrown into the lions' den. But God saved Daniel, sending an angel to close the jaws of the beasts, and the king pardoned Daniel by instead condemning those who had denounced him. The subject has been depicted several times in art, for the fascination linked to history but also for its exotic flavor due to the presence of wild beasts; in particular we remember the version by Rubens of 1615, where the prophet is depicted naked in the underground pit, while he prays ardently, surrounded by a crowd of ferocious lions. The work presented here instead proposes a version centered on the dialogue between the prophet and the angel, who face each other, standing out with the vivid colors of their robes against the dark background of a prison; there is only one lion, meekly crouching at the angel's feet, and therefore the spiritual and salvific dimension of the biblical event prevails. According to the famous art historian Maurizio Marini, a specialist in the painting of Caravaggio and Baroque art, who had had the opportunity to view the painting years ago, the work could be attributable to Antonio Maria Vassallo (1620 -1664) for the compositional and chromatic choices. The painting, restored and relined, is presented with a listello frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Italian school of the eighteenth century. In the portrait of this gentleman, the dressing gown made of an elegant floral fabric stands out in particular, in shades of brick red that recall the color of the wig. The severity of the pose and the austere gaze of the character almost contrast with the almost frivolous elegance of his clothing. The painting, restored and relined, is presented in a frame from the early 1900s.