Tempera and oil on panel. Venetian-Cretan school of the 17th-18th century. The term Venetian-Cretan School (or Creto-Venetian) indicates an important pictorial school, also known as the Post-Byzantine school, a movement that flourished on the island of Crete under the control of the Serenissima of Venice between 1204 and 1669. Thanks to the political situation, particularly after the fall of Constantinople, Crete became the main Christian artistic center of Greek origin from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century. In this environment a particular pictorial style developed which was marked by tradition and movements of both Byzantine and Latin origin. In particular, given the important demand for Byzantine icons in Europe, the island soon became a center of production of these works of art. The style of the Byzantine icon is found in this work, which proposes a subject widely re-proposed in art, namely the Adoration of the Shepherds at the birth of Jesus: the figures of the Holy Family and the Shepherds are strongly attributable to the traditional Byzantine iconographic representation , but they are placed in a more Latin landscape, which opens wide, with a depth of perspective that refers to seventeenth-century European landscape painting, without the traditional gold background but with chromatic choices that still recall the divine golden light, in particular where an angel announcing the Glory of God looks out from the open heavens. The painting has a detachment of the paint in the central part, corresponding to a previous restoration, which requires further recovery. On the back of the plate there is a sealing wax stamp. The painting is presented in an antique wooden frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Emilian school of the late 1600s - early 1700s. According to the biblical narrative, Loth fled with his daughters from the city of Sodom before the Lord destroyed it with fire and brimstone, to punish it for its impiety. Having taken refuge in a cave in the mountains, Loth's daughters got their father drunk and incestuously united with him for two nights in a row and without his knowledge, in order to get pregnant and ensure the continuation of the lineage. This depiction of the episode presents the two young and attractive girls, already scantily clad, who make the elderly father lying between them drink again, out of control under the effect of the wine. The three figures intertwine and overlap, in a game of colors, against the dark background, between the rosy complexions of the naked bodies and the fabrics that surround them without covering them. The painting, restored and relined, is presented in a period gilded frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Central Italian school of the 17th century. In its pictorial style, the painting recalls the production of Angelo Caroselli (1585-1652), a Roman Baroque artist who was a painter, copyist, restorer, but also a pasticheur and connoisseur of art, i.e. creator of paintings "in the manner of"- in “technique” and in the “style” of a specific artistic period or of a specific author, even assembling “parts” taken from different paintings. Initially Caravaggesque, Il Caroselli later developed his own personal artistic language, which was copied by many minor artists. In this work the fixed and almost exasperated expressiveness of the character stands out, whose elegance of the seventeenth-century dress and the almost feminine features of the face with its rosy complexion contrast with the crudeness of Goliath's head, bloody, with the large stab wound that stands out against the mortal pallor. The painting has been restored and relined, retaining the original wooden frame. It is presented in a contemporary wooden frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Italian school of the 17th-18th centuries. A large composition of colorful flowers, in embossed metal vases, and some fruits scattered on the ground, are placed close to a wall overlooking a maritime landscape: the brightness of the sky and sea on the right contrasts with the shaded area on the left, on which the colors of the flowers stand out. The painting, relined and restored, has a significant crack. It is presented in a contemporary lacquered and gilded frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Italian school of the early 17th century. The Madonna on the throne, crowned by two angels, has the Baby Jesus in her arms, who offers Saint Francis the poor knotted belt, a symbol of poverty; witnessing the scene are a holy bishop, Saint John the Baptist and two female saints, Saint Clare on the left, Saint Catherine of Alexandria on the right. The painting, still on the first canvas, has a clearly visible crack with small drops of color; subjected to restoration (there are old patches on the back), it was fixed to a non-coeval wooden frame and mounted in a coeval Florentine frame, in black painted wood with gold decorations.

Oil painting on canvas. The identification of the saint is given by the presence of the large wooden wheel, symbol of the instrument of her martyrdom. Usually the saint is represented with a crown on her head and dressed in royal clothes to underline her princely origins. Instead here we have an atypical depiction of her, with her hair loose, covered only by a large red cloak (the color of blood, therefore of mortal humanity) which falls from her shoulders and forces her to cover her breasts with her hands; her gaze is turned upwards, where the heavens open and an angel descends, holding the palm of martyrdom with one hand and placing a crown of flowers on her head with the other, symbol of her mystical marriage with Christ . It is therefore a representation that sees her at the moment of passage to eternal life, similar to a penitent Magdalene in mystical adoration, who offers herself to Christ without any human recognition. The chromatic choices stand out in the painting, which against a dark and gloomy background bring out the red of the open sky and of the mantle, and the whiteness of the flesh, both of the woman and of the angel. The canvas, already restored and relined, is presented in a worked frame from the late 19th century, with some defects.

Oil painting on canvas. The scene takes place near a military camp: outside a tent on the left an army leader, probably Greek, is receiving offerings from a group of men, poor and ragged, who prostrate themselves before the new master; the first is holding out some loaves of bread, another is taking something out of a sack, the third is showing the wounds on his body to ask for mercy; behind them other figures of beggars are approaching, forming a scattered line on the path fading into the distance on the right. In the background on the left, life in the military camp is bustling. The painting has been restored and relined.

Oil painting on canvas. Northern Italian school of the 17th-18th centuries. The scene shows the clash between knights outside the walls of a besieged city, with the smoke of firearms invading the sky. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in an adapted antique frame. The scene shows the clash between knights outside the walls of a besieged city, with the smoke of firearms invading the sky. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in an adapted antique frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Northern Italian school of the 17th century. The large painting presents as its subject a well-known Old Testament theme, the wealth of King Solomon, told in the First Book of Kings: "King Solomon surpassed, therefore, in wealth and wisdom, all the kings of the earth. In every part of the earth to approach Solomon to listen to the wisdom that God had placed in his heart. Everyone brought him, every year, offerings of silver and gold objects, clothes, weapons, spices, horses and mules". In the painting the king, richly dressed with the symbols of royalty (the crown, the scepter, the ermine cloak), listens standing to the postulants who come to him to receive the advice dictated by his proverbial wisdom, and in exchange they bring him offerings, which are commensurate with their social role: some farmers bring gifts of bags of grain, the fruits of their work in the fields, another raises a cup high, to attract the king's attention. The colors and pictorial style of the painting refer to the production of northern Italy, especially Venetian. The painting has been restored and relined.

Oil painting on canvas. Neapolitan school of the 17th-18th century. It is a traditional scene of the deposition of Christ from the Cross, with the inert and pale body lowered into the arms of his mother Mary, in turn embraced and supported in her pain by the disciple John, and around, sharing in the mourning, two pious women and two disciples. The scene is characterized by a diagonally descending linearity, which follows the body of Jesus, starting from the pole of the Cross raised on the left and ending with the woman crouched to embrace Jesus' feet on the right. All around, a bare and gray background, which underlines the drama and emptiness that it creates. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in an early 20th century frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Roman school of the 17th century. The landscape, large and airy, pervaded by a "classical", timeless atmosphere, fits into the classicizing current of ideal views taken from the Roman countryside, introduced to Rome with great success during the 17th century following the example of Carracci, Domenico, Albani and the French Poussin, Dughet, Lorrain, and continued into the following century with artists such as Andrea Locatelli. This type of landscape paintings aimed to exalt the principles of beauty, reason, order and measure typical of the classical world, to celebrate the value of history, the trust inherited from the ancients in the virtues of man and his possibilities. In the nature of these landscapes, which is not abandoned to chaos, but is composed, orderly, not disturbed by violent or disorderly elements, human figures are placed, dressed in the old style as in this painting, in which a couple dressed in classic tunics she converses amiably sitting (or rather, half-reclining almost as if they were on a triclinium) in the middle of a shady and green countryside, near a quiet river; in the distance you can glimpse the buildings of a city and your gaze is then lost in the orderly and peaceful continuity of the rolling hills of Lazio. The painting, restored and relined, is presented in a period frame.

Oil painting on canvas. The Madonna is depicted in glory, standing in the heavens and surrounded by little angels. The work, still on the first canvas, was applied on a modern stretcher: this fact, together with the incompleteness of the figure of Mary, suggests that the painting was part of a larger canvas. The painting is presented in a period frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Southern Italian school of the 17th-18th centuries. The scene, full of characters, sees the figure of a leader standing at the centre, well defined in the details of the armour, the crest, as well as the anatomy: he is benevolently accompanying with the movement of his arms a kneeling man who, together to his companion, he is paying homage to an emperor, however indicating with his outstretched hand the group of six children, held back on the right by soldiers. The emperor has risen from the throne, on the left, and goes to meet the prostrate couple, but he too seems almost in an attitude of reverence towards the central leader. The scene seems to refer to a historical episode of clemency of a leader, who due to his age, features and type of armour, could be Alexander the Great, a character who, however, is difficult to match with the other figure crowned with laurel, who descends from the throne in the sumptuous palace . It is therefore not possible to specifically identify the episode (historical or legendary?) of reference. Furthermore, the compositional richness of the scene is appreciated, with numerous well-detailed figures and bright colors to underline its dynamism. The work, restored and relined, is presented in an antique frame.

Disciple of Peter Paul Rubens

Oil on canvas. The painting derives from the work by Rubens (1577 -1640) conserved in the Prado Museum in Madrid, reproduced as a counterpart in engraving by Paulus Pontius (1603 -1658), as also appears in this version. Occupying the vertical centre of the scene is the figure of Mary, whose face was inspired by that of Isabel Brandt, the Flemish painter's first wife, who died in1626 at the age of just 35. The Madonna holds the Child Jesus in her arms, who looks tenderly but seriously into her eyes, while a small hand rests on his mother's uncovered breast, from which he has just received nourishment; behind, standing, St. Anne wraps the shoulders of her daughter and grandson in a tender and protective embrace, smiling complacently: On the left side, somewhat separated and in the dark, Joseph watches pensively and worriedly: the only human figure who does not fit into the light emanating from the Child's face, radiating on Mary's and, by reflection, also on St. Anne's. Compared to the master's work, the composition of the figures is respected, but several details vary, particularly in the clothing of St. Anne, Mary, and the drapery that encircles the Child's hips, supporting the hypothesis that it is the work of a follower of the Flemish master. The painting, restored and re-tinted, is in good condition, with only a scratch in the colour in the top centre.

Oil painting on canvas. Central Italian school of the 17th century. The unusual and particular representation presents on the left the three figures of the Holy Family, with Jesus already a child, sitting at the table and blessing the simple meal they are about to consume (consisting of fruit and bread); the scene, a subject depicted rather rarely and generally with a more sacred character due to the presence of angels serving food to the family, here instead has the flavor of very normal and simple domestic intimacy. Instead, everything around the Holy Family stands out majestically, the glimpse of a Renaissance city, with tall buildings with loggias and colonnades, presented according to a beautiful perspective effect which leads, at the bottom on the right, to the entrance walls of a richly turreted city, probably Jerusalem. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a late 19th century frame.

Attributed to Domenico Lupini

Oil on canvas. The painting depicts an episode from Roman mythology relating to the young Roman heroine Clelia, who was given as a hostage, along with other maidens, to the Etruscan king Porsenna during peace negotiations with the city; Clelia managed to escape, however, by swimming across the Tiber. Porsenna demanded her return to the Romans, who agreed, but admiring her heroism, he decided to free her by allowing her to take other prisoners with her, whom Clelia chose from among the younger ones. The moment depicted in the painting is that of the crossing of the river, the personification of which is in the foreground on the right, in the figure of the canine old man, accompanied by a young woman with a cornucopia. The scene is very dynamic, with Clelia and the other maidens creating a dense and animated group around the horse ridden by the protagonist, as some versions of the story recall; behind them are the tents of the Etruscan king's camp with some soldiers. On the other side of the river is another group of women who have already made the crossing, while in the background is the classical-looking Capitoline city. The work, as a small cartouche attests, is attributed to Domenico Lupini, an artist about whom not much is known but whose sphere of activity can be assumed to have been between Bergamo and Venice. The only two signed works are a 'Converted Magdalene' and an 'Annunciation', but other works have been attributed to him by scholar Federica Nurchis and are located in the monastery of Santa Chiara in Bergamo. The painting presents a warm and refined chromatism that, together with the elegance of the characters and the compositional mode, suggest Lucini's Venetian sojourn, which seems to recall the atmospheres of Tintoretto, Veronese and Palma il Giovane. The painting shows signs of restoration and retouching.

Oil painting on canvas. Italian school of the 17th century. The large composition presents a variety of foods on a kitchen table: on the left a large wicker basket full of vegetables, surmounted by a group of hanging fish; other vegetables are placed on the table top, next to a plate of cherries, one with a loaf of bread, and further back another with prawns; on the right stands a vase full of colorful flowers and, sitting on the shelf of a cupboard, a black cat calmly licking its paw. The sharpness of the colors stands out, enhanced by the reflections of light on some foods, such as cherries or prawns, and on the copper jug ​​in front of the flowers. The painting, restored and relined, is presented in a strip frame.

Attr. to Domenico Lupini

Oil painting on canvas. The model derives from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi based on a drawing by Raphael, specially created for the graphic work, and derived from a painting located in the Stanza della Segnatura (1513-1515) in the Vatican Museums. This model was subsequently taken up and varied both in painted works and in other engravings, in particular in that of Raphael Sadeler of 1589, currently in the Cabinet of Drawings and Prints of the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo: the painting proposed here in fact shows the same changes made compared to the Raphaelesque original. At the center of the mythological scene immersed in a natural landscape, are the three goddesses who competed for the title of the most beautiful: Juno with the peacock, her symbolic animal, Venus accompanied by Cupid, and Minerva next to whom are the helmet, the spear and the shield. Paris, from behind, is giving the golden apple that declares the winner to the goddess of love, under the gaze of judge Mercury. Two putti flutter around the protagonists, while in the foreground, always from behind, there is a male figure. A country boarding school is taking place on the lawn behind. The work, as attested by a small scroll, is attributed to Domenico Lupini, an artist about whom not much is known but whose sphere of activity can be hypothesized between Bergamo and Venice. The only two signed works are a "Converted Magdalene" and an "Annunciation", but other works have been attributed to him by the scholar Federica Nurchis and placed in the monastery of Santa Chiara in Bergamo. The painting presents a warm and refined chromaticism which, together with the elegance of the characters and the compositional method, suggest a Venetian stay for Lucini, which seems to recall the atmospheres of Tintoretto, Veronese and Palma il Giovane. The painting shows signs of restoration and relining.