Antique Painting Adoration of the Child Oil on Canvas XVII Century

Disciple of Pietro da Cortona

Oil on canvas. The work is based on the fresco created by Pietro da Cortona on a wall of the Sala della Stufa in Palazzo Pitti, part of the cycle of the Four Ages of Man, inspired by Ovid's Metamorphoses. Scenes from the Bronze and Iron Ages contrast images of a civilized society with those of the violence perpetrated during wartime. As Ovid states, fraud and deception arose during the Iron Age, and men not only demanded that the earth bear fruit, but also dug into its depths. Thus iron and gold were discovered, and war began, bringing with it acts of pillage and violent plunder, even against the defenseless, such as the elderly, women, and children. This scene, also known as "Group of Soldiers Massacring Civilians" depicts dramatic scenes of violence and oppression, such as the soldier in the foreground about to kill the defenseless old man lying on the ground, or, on the right, the man cutting off a young mother's hair to take her ornaments, despite her pleas. The painting shows traces of previous minor restorations. It has a frame.

Oil on canvas. Northern Italian school, 17th century. The large scene is animated by numerous intertwining figures: in the center, illuminated by the beam of light coming from above, Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms, watched over by St. Joseph on the right; on the left, the three wise men, bearing their gifts in rich caskets, and their entire entourage, along with the angels watching from above. A curious detail is the two little angels at the bottom, preparing the manger to welcome the baby Jesus. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. Frame in period style.

Oil on canvas. The scene depicts a plea for clemency from a king: a man begs the king to pardon the young man who is about to be beheaded by two servants; curiously, a crowned head lies at the king's feet. The scene takes place in a camp near a city, with several soldiers attending, while the two prisoners are in civilian clothes, as are the servants brandishing swords over the prisoner. The scene is not clearly linked to a specific biblical historical episode, but it certainly aims to convey the king's mercy, contrasted with severe justice. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in an early 20th-century frame, regilded.

Oil on canvas. French school, late 17th century. The painting is inspired by the one by Nicolas Poussin, created around 1635 and now on loan to the National Gallery in Edinburgh. However, compared to that work, ours features many variations and is much smaller (the entire right section of Poussin's scene, full of foreground and background figures, has been eliminated). The subject recounts a biblical episode from the Book of Exodus: the people of Egypt were wandering in the Sinai desert, and were without water; God then ordered Moses to take his staff, gather the elders, and strike the rock at Horeb before the people: from it sprang a spring of water, from which all the people could quench their thirst. The painting presented has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a late 19th-century frame.

Oil on canvas. A young woman wearing a helmet and chain mail, holding a halberd, is depicted. Above her, her identifying name. The epithet "Amazon" essentially identifies a female warrior, but there is no mention of a character called Leandra. Furthermore, the myth of female warriors, known as Amazons, enjoyed a wide following and fostered a vast artistic and literary production. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a contemporary antique frame.

Oil on canvas. Camilla is a character from Virgil's Aeneid, queen of the Volscians: devoted to Diana, Camilla is both a huntress and a warrior. Fearless and courageous, she displays all her extraordinary beauty. She was considered queen of the Amazons, as these figures were the warrior women par excellence. Virgil's character enjoyed a long literary and artistic success. Here, the woman is depicted in 17th-century armor, intent on unsheathing her sword, while mythologically Camilla fought with a bow and arrow. The character's name is cited at the top. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a contemporary antique frame.

Disciple of Carlo Cignani

Oil on canvas. This work is one of several contemporary versions and replicas of a work by Carlo Cignani, testifying to the subject's success. It can be traced back to his workshop or one of his followers. The allegory of Charity was one of Carlo Cignani's favorite themes, and he painted it several times. She is always depicted as a breastfeeding woman, often surrounded by numerous children, a symbol of the unconditional love she gives to others. In this depiction, the woman is breastfeeding two older children while she covers the swaddled newborn sleeping in the crib. The scene is lively and serene, characterized by natural gestures, simple yet full of tenderness; one of the children holds two cherries, a symbol of love and sweetness. The painting shows signs of restoration and relining carried out in the late 19th century. The gilded frame, decorated with friezes, also dates back to this period.

Oil on canvas. Neapolitan school, 17th century. The painting, formerly attributed to Scipione Compagno (1624-1680), is in keeping with his pictorial style (which, moreover, is typical of the narrative imagery typical of 17th-century Neapolitan culture), which depicts scenes and events with countless figures, landscapes, and views depicted in a palette of browns and tans, except for the flashes of color that highlight the main characters in the scenes. The scene, filled with figures, features the Egyptian army in the foreground being overwhelmed by the waters of the Red Sea, while on the shore in the background the Israelites, now safe, watch and celebrate with dances and songs. In the center, further back, Moses stands, raising his arm with his staff, in the gesture that evoked the miracle of the parting of the waters. The painting has been restored in the past. It currently shows a slight loss of color on the left. It is presented in a late 19th-century frame.

Copy from Jacopo Palma il Vecchio

Oil on canvas. The original painting from which this painting is based, faithful even to its size, belonging to a private collection, was exhibited in 2022 at the exhibition organized by the Museum of Santa Caterina in Treviso. The work depicts the Madonna and Child in the center, with two saints on the right, almost isolated in a spiritual discussion. The rightmost figure is Saint Catherine, recognizable by her cogwheel symbol; on the left is Saint Joseph, depicted with a youthful appearance, likely because he uses the features of the patron. The painting has been restored in the past. It is presented in a gilded frame, in period style.

Oil on canvas. Central Italian school, 17th century. The painting depicts the Virgin with the Child Jesus seated on her lap, both wearing crowns. The Child is depicted blessing the viewer, holding a flower in his other hand. The iconography of the Virgin and Child, both crowned, became widespread only from the 16th century onwards, although the theme of the Virgin enthroned was already widespread earlier, as was her Coronation. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in an 18th-century wooden frame.

Copy from Simon Vouet

Oil on canvas. This is a beautiful copy of the famous painting by Simon Vouet (1590-1649) created between 1618 and 1620, and located in a chapel of the church of San Francesco a Ripa in Rome. Created by Vouet during his stay in Rome, the work shows a significant Caravaggesque influence, both in its chromatic and lighting choices, as well as in the poses of the figures. These characteristics are faithfully found in this copy. The palette is rich in colors (blue, orange, and obviously red) that materialize in draperies painted with great brushwork, but there is also an abundance of white cloths, which are everywhere to provide light and create a visual impact. The details are rich: the elaborate hairstyle of the figure seen from behind and his bare foot in the foreground (but not dirty, like those of Merisi); the white vase on the floor contrasts with the large copper basin; The lace of the shirt and turban of the woman on the right, as well as her left hand (a typical Caravaggio pose) extended openly toward the viewer, give the scene a sense of depth. The painting was restored and relined in the late 19th century, and mounted on a stretcher from that period. It is presented in a late 19th-century frame.

Oil on copper. Flemish school of the seventeenth century. The painting, attributed by oral tradition to Frans Francken the younger (1581 -1642), depicts a miraculous healing performed by Jesus: while he goes with his disciples, he meets on his way a sick man, probably with leprosy, a disease that involved isolation and banishment from the city; the man invokes Christ who performs the miracle and heals him. The painting places the event on the left edge of the scene, in the foreground, where the figures dressed according to the typical style of the times of Christ stand out for their bright colours; moreover, the landscape that fills the rest of the scene is decidedly Nordic, with a river full of water flowing in a countryside full of vegetation, and a city in the background under mountain peaks. The pictorial description of the vegetation is meticulous and precise, rich and well defined in the details: the broken trunk in the foreground, the fronds of the large tree behind the characters, the birds flying high in the sky, the small flowers on the shore, the nuances of the The water in which plants and clouds are reflected are painted with a pictorial refinement typical of Flemish painting, similar in style to that of the great Antwerp artist. The painting is presented in a repurposed antique frame.