ANCIENT PAINTING

Live Rabbits and Birds with Game

Oil on canvas. Various animals are placed against a completely dark background: some game, namely four different birds hanging by their legs or resting on a (nearly invisible) surface, and, on the same surface, three crouching rabbits and two strolling birds. Live and dead animals are harmoniously intermingled, and only careful observation allows us to discern their vitality or the rigidity of death: it is the lively gaze of the rabbits' and birds' eyes and the movement of the latter that identifies their state of life. The artist's technical skill stands out in the work, evident above all in the virtuosity of the brush in depicting the animals' anatomical features, with plumage, skin, and fur clearly differentiated in detail. Certainly of the Genoese school, the work is attributable to Sinibaldo Scorza (1589–1631), a painter active in the city of Genoa, who specialized in the art of drawing, engraving, and naturalistic miniatures, with a particular focus on animals. Scorza studied animals from life, making precise and detailed sketches and drawings, with an incredible ability to capture salient aspects from both a pictorial and scientific perspective, typical of the new interests of the time. Alongside his drawings, he also made detailed notes on his paper, such as the position of their legs, the type and color of their fur, to name a few. Sinibaldo Scorza painted not only animals, but also a variety of subjects, landscapes, mythological or genre scenes, and views and glimpses of the cities he visited. His naturalistic inclination was particularly strengthened by his contact with the great Flemish painters he met in Turin and then met again in Rome: throughout his works, one finds that particular attention to the naturalistic aspect captured in precise detail, with nature, trees, and various animals animating a landscape that can be Arcadian yet always marked by a strong taxonomic flavour. For Scorza (a keen reader with a vast literary culture), mythological tales, biblical, and literary subjects served as a pretext for studying landscapes filled with animals, each characterized in detail. The painting presented here has previously undergone restoration and relining. It is presented in an antique frame. Information on FINE ART

Oil on canvas. The scene depicts a young woman presented in chains before a priest, surrounded by other elders. It is likely an episode from the Old Testament, and refers to the trial to which women suspected of adultery were subjected. They were accused by their husbands and brought before the priest, who could condemn them or, in the absence of proof, subject them to an ordeal, a "judgment of God through physical trial." The scene presented here does not suggest a specific episode. The painting has been restored and relined in the past, with a new stretcher. It is presented in a modern frame.

Oil on canvas. Lombard school, late 17th-early 18th century. The painting, previously sold at the Wannenes auction in 2018, is attributed to Giovanni Blasio, an artist close in style to Felice Boselli but differing in his specific depiction of fish. Specific in-depth studies of this artist are underway, but it is known that he was active between Lombardy and Emilia in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The composition features three large fish resembling pike, one of which occupies the entire right edge of the canvas, hanging near a collection of plants on the ground or raised outside. In the left foreground is a bowl full of snails, with two crabs resting in front of it; in the center is a large basin full of pomegranates, with cucumbers and two bundles of lavender sprigs placed before it. In the background are two more pikes, one hanging, the other resting on a raised platform on which is displayed a large basket full of mushrooms, almost hidden by the shadows. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a late 19th-century gilded frame. In the background, on a raised platform on the left, is a

Oil on panel. Lombard School, late 16th-early 17th century. In Christian iconography, this iconographic and theological subject depicts Jesus visiting or freeing souls in a state of purification. Christ is usually depicted reaching out or gazing toward the souls, as in this painting, where he grasps the arm of a soul with one hand after tearing open the gates of Purgatory. Others look on in contemplation or supplication, while above, the devils of Hell express their rage. The central figure of Christ radiates a light that benefits the souls in Purgatory closest to him, while the upper part of the scene, evoking Hell, is illuminated by the red hues of the fire of eternal damnation. The painting has been restored in the past and reinforced on the back with wooden paneling.

Oil on canvas mounted on hardboard. 17th-century Italian school. The painting recounts an episode from the biblical book of Genesis, in which Jacob, while tending his uncle Laban's flock, falls in love with his daughter Rachel and asks her father to marry her, but is then tricked into marrying his older sister Leah first. In the scene, Jacob is seen standing before Laban, who, seated on his throne, holds his young and beautiful daughter Rachel, pointing with a finger at his other daughter, Leah, slumped in dismay in the corner. Around him, the women and servants of the house look on, sharing their emotions in what is happening. The scene takes place in front of the classical-style house, while on the left, an Italian landscape opens up in the background, with mountain peaks and a lake amidst verdant vegetation. A wagon, preceded by a flock of sheep and goats, is arriving on the path leading to the house. The canvas was previously restored and mounted on a hardboard panel. It is presented in a late 19th-century frame.

Oil on canvas. Northern Italian School, late 17th-early 18th century. This large-scale painting depicts the evangelical moment of the encounter between Mary, awaiting the birth of Jesus, and her cousin Elizabeth, pregnant with John, the future Baptist. The emotion of this encounter, which sees the two women embrace while, as Elizabeth says, baby John leaps in her womb, later gives rise to the splendid prayer of the Magnificat, proclaimed by Mary in thanksgiving and praise of her Lord "who has looked upon the lowliness of his servant". Unusual is the presence in this painting of the two husbands, Joseph on the left and Zechariah on the right, who are not mentioned in the Gospel and are usually not depicted. All the figures are depicted according to traditional iconographic canons and stand out against a background featuring the temple behind Zechariah, the priest, and a distant Italian landscape on the left. On the back of the canvas is an old attribution of the work to Giacomo Barbelli. The painting is completely missing paint along all edges; It has been restored in the past and firmly relined. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Northern Italian School, 18th century. The two landscapes feature villages with buildings of different structures: one closer to the mountains, with sloping roofs and a stream running through the village; the other features buildings with flat, turreted roofs, evoking sunnier villages. The two paintings have been previously restored and relined. They are presented in late 19th-century frames.

Oil on canvas. Portrait of a saintly martyr and queen, as indicated by the crown on her head and the palm of martyrdom, holding a banner in one hand and surrounded by other female figures. This iconography harks back to Saint Ursula, a Breton princess who lived around the 5th century AD and, according to legend, was martyred along with her companions, who fell victim to the barbarians who infested the territories of central Europe while returning from a pilgrimage to Rome. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. French school, late 17th-early 18th century. The painting is a replica of one by Nicolas Poussin (1634-35), which was initially part of the collection of André Le Norte, then donated to the King of France in 1693, and is now housed in the Louvre Museum. The scene is set in a lush landscape with the broad Jordan River flowing through it. On the bank, in the center of the scene, John, dressed only in camel skins, is baptizing several men kneeling before him, while on the left, other men are removing their robes to receive the anointing themselves. On the right, a group of women and children, the catechumens' relatives, are attending the rite. On the river in the background, a boat loaded with more people is approaching the shore. The scene is rich in figures, movement, and color. The original canvas shows traces of small previous restorations, but is in excellent condition. It is presented in an antique frame from the early 18th century.

Oil on canvas. Central Italian School, early 18th century. The large scene depicts the Nativity of Jesus in the Bethlehem cave, completely dark, from which human figures emerge with varying degrees of brightness. The Child, in the arms of his Mother, who is wrapping him in swaddling clothes, focuses all the light on himself, which then radiates onto the other figures: Mary, a co-protagonist of the event, is completely bathed in it, while Joseph and the other figures, visiting shepherds, are partially illuminated, their faces emerging from the darkness. The ox, in the right foreground, is left in the darkness; as an animal, it is not a beneficiary of the salvation brought by Jesus. Joseph's position and role are remarkable: he is also placed in the central foreground like Mary and Jesus, and above all, he is actively engaged in a dialogue with the visiting woman, rather than being left in the background, as is customary, engaged only in contemplation of his family. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Dutch School, 18th century. The painting was previously attributed to the painter and engraver Pieter de Molijn (1595-1661), considered by contemporary art historians to be one of the founders of what is called the so-called tonal phase of Dutch landscape painting, an artistic movement born from the need to represent local nature in a more realistic and evocative manner, overcoming the rigid and artificial conventions of earlier Flemish painting. It actually dates to a later period, although it draws on that movement and adopts its canons: the sky dominates the scene, occupying a large portion of it; the landscape, very generic and ordinary, not monumental, is almost monochromatic, due to the prevalence of earth tones such as ochre, brown, grey, and dull green, which blend the elements, and the outlines are blurred, suggesting a haze; the figures are inserted only as background elements. The work comes from the Campar company collection. It is presented in an early 20th-century frame.

Oil on canvas. A half-length portrait of a royal couple, wearing ermine robes and holding scepters. Both are crowned, but the peculiarity is that the female figure holds a second crown in her hands. The other figure, who appears younger, wears a simpler crown, a symbol of lower rank, and is in a pose of ecstasy, her hand on her heart and her gaze turned heavenward. It is assumed that this is Theodolinda, Christian queen of the Lombards, crowning her young son Adaloald as a martyr. She was his regent, and Adaloald was the first Lombard ruler to be baptized and assassinated for his pro-Catholic and pro-Roman policies. Still on its original canvas, the painting shows patches from previous restorations, but requires further restoration and cleaning.

Oil on canvas. Flemish School, late 17th-early 18th century. On the back, an old pencil attribution to Nicolaes Berchem (1620-1683), an artist of landscapes with pastoral figures and a painterly style similar to this work, is present. The landscape features a stream at its center, flowing across a plain surmounted by rocky outcrops, through which natural tunnels are opened, traversed by the path. Various wayfarers pass along it: in the foreground, a man wades across the stream with his pack donkey; behind him, a herdsman on horseback with his cows; smaller figures are crossing the rock tunnel on the right. The painting has been restored and relined in the past. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. French school, mid-18th century. This romantic landscape depicts a verdant landscape in which a soldier and a lady, in the right foreground, are romantically meeting, while other figures, more distant, form the background. In the background, a small town is illuminated by rays of sunlight peeking low from behind the clouds. The painting is on its first canvas. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. At the center of the scene, set outdoors in a city suburb, a figure standing on a stage or raised platform is offering a handkerchief to someone in the small crowd watching him from below. Next to him stands a goat, and behind him a man watches and waits: it is therefore a barker proposing and extolling someone else's wares, in this case the goat. On the right, a tall, slender column surmounted by a statue stands out, a meeting point in daily city life, already bustling from the early hours of the morning, as the pink sky on the right suggests. Similar subjects are found in the work of Giovanni Michele Graneri (1708-1778), a Turin painter who revived the 17th-century tradition of the Bamboccianti in genre scenes of popular life, from markets to taverns. The painting is on its original canvas, with patches on the back. It is presented in a late 19th-early 20th-century frame.

Oil on canvas, mounted on panel. Northern Italian school, late 17th-early 18th century. Mary is depicted in a meditative pose, her face lowered, her eyes almost closed, absorbed in prayer. The absence of a halo emphasizes her humanity. Signs of previous restoration are present. The work is presented in an antique wooden frame.

Oil painting on canvas. Roman school of the 17th century. The large scene represents the famous episode halfway between real history and legend, told for the first time by Tito Livio in his "Ab urbe condita libri" (the books of the "History of Rome from its foundation"). To populate the newly founded city, Romulus, founder and first king of the city, resorted to a stratagem: he invited the Sabines, who lived in the nearby city of Curi, to the Consualia festival, in honor of the god Neptune, and kidnapped their women. The painting depicts the moment in which the Romans kidnapped the Sabine women, forcibly taking them away from their companions, under the eyes of the king, who remained hidden behind the columns of the temple of the deity, the god Neptune, recognizable by the trident. In the center at the rear is the obelisk, which for the Romans acquired a symbolic meaning as war booty and testimony to imperial strength. The many figures intertwine with each other, chasing each other, overlapping, creating plays of bodies and chromatic effects. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in an antique frame.

Landscape with Figures

Oil painting on canvas. The large composition proposes a landscape with a large tree in the centre. to surmount with its sparse branches the countryside below, crossed by a stream and animated by various figures of commoners intent on activity or at rest; at the top right stands a fortress, which dominates the valley. Already attributed to Peruzzini from the Marches, the painting can certainly be traced back to his circle, due to the rapid and poorly aggregated pictorial strokes. Antonio Francesco specialized in landscape painting, undergoing the influence of Salvator Rosa and landscape painters such as Pietro Montanini and Pandolfo Reschi, and further influences also came to him from Nordic painters active in Italy, above all from Pieter Mulier known as il Tempesta. In his first works the originality of his painting can already be distinguished given a rapid drafting and an intense and brilliant chromatic timbre. The long artistic bond between Antonio Francesco Peruzzini and Alessandro Magnasco began in the early 1990s, following their meeting in Milan, where Peruzzini had settled; from this period onwards his painting seems to fall apart, through forms that become more dynamic and light, almost fantastic, to finally arrive at a style marked by an ever greater disintegration of the forms of nature and their movement. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a period frame.

Reduced version from an altarpiece by Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli

Oil painting on canvas. Venetian school of the seventeenth century. Entirely in the foreground, this scene of a group of sacred figures, which presents the faces of Mary and the Child Jesus in the centre, surrounded by the young San Giovanni in the lower left, and three angels forming a crown around. All the characters are happy and smiling, despite the reference to passion given by the stick surmounted by the Cross which John offers to Jesus. The movement of the bodies and the bright colors make the scene come alive. The painting is still on the first canvas, with no signs of previous restoration. There are several drops of color, spread above all along the lower margin and the two sides. It is presented in an antique lacquered wooden frame.

Love and Psyche

Oil painting on canvas. Northern Italian school of the 17th century. The scene refers, with some variations but very close in size, to a part of the large fresco entitled "Banchetto degli dei" in the Chamber of Cupid (or Chamber of Cupid and Psyche) of Palazzo Té in Mantua, a large representation of over nine meters made by Giulio Romano with his workshop in the 16th century. The proposed scene (which in Mantua is located to the right of the great banquet) sees Cupid and Psyche lying on a triclinium, while a small winged figure crowns them with laurel and two nymphs wash Cupid's hand; in the background on the right a group of satyrs is sacrificing a goat to the altar of a deity, while in the centre, in the distance, a city is burning. The banquet of the gods is the final moment of the myth of the two lovers who, after many trials and vicissitudes, obtain Venus'permission to get married. The work, restored and relined, is presented in an antique frame.

Oil on canvas. Northern Italian school of the 17th-18th century. In a large, rather barren hilly landscape, which widens and fades to the right, there is a high rock, shaped like an arch, under which there is Saint Jerome penitent, depicted in the act of prayer and adoration of the Cross. In accordance with the canons of 17th-18th century painting, the figure of the Saint, adapted to the iconography in his clothes and attitude, is however inserted in an unsuitable landscape, close to that of the painter who drew on the landscape reality known to him. . The painting, restored and relined, is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. In the beautiful composition you can see, resting on an inlaid wooden sideboard, a basket full of cherries, some of which are scattered on the top, and a plate full of red currants, mixed with leaves and a few cherry blossoms. A goldfinch rests on the handle of the basket; to frame the composition, on the right a large bouquet of multicolored flowers in a vase, on the left a red curtain. The bright colors of the fruits, the flowers and the curtain stand out, while the support cabinet blends into the dark background, as does the little bird, distinguishable from the dark background only by the white plumage on the wings and the red outline of the eyes. The work is part of the large 17th century Emilian production of this highly decorative type of subject. The painting, restored and relined, has a marked crack and drops of color along the edges.

Oil painting on canvas. The scene tells the biblical episode of the book of Exodus in which little Moses, whom his mother had entrusted to the river inside a basket to save him from the massacre of the Israeli male children (ordered by the Pharaoh of Egypt to prevent if the Israeli people became too numerous and could rebel against slavery), he is found by a handmaiden of Pharaoh's daughter, who decides to adopt him and saves him. The scene is set on the banks of a river but in a non-oriental landscape, with architectural structures on the right: numerous figures, depicting the princess' entourage, placed in the center together with the child in the basket. The restored canvas was applied on a modern stretcher. It is presented in chronicle of the 19th century.

Oil on the table. Northern European school of the 17th century. The scene depicts an episode in the life of Scipio narrated by Tito Livio and Valerio Massimo. Publius Cornelius Scipio, later known as Scipio the African, in 209 BC. during the Spanish campaign, after the capture of Cartagena he received as a personal gift a beautiful virgin, who was in the group of hostages. But he, listening to the pleas of his family, respected her by sending her back to her parents and fiancé, with the only recommendation that her betrothed work for peace between Rome and Carthage. In the representation Scipio is in the center, seated on his throne, and turns to the left, to the suppliant parents of the girl, while with a merciful gesture, he indicates to them to take back his daughter, standing on the right, flanked by her boyfriend. All around, soldiers and followers of the king. The scene is full of figures, bright and colorful, and underlines the positivity of the king, a central and powerful character, but capable of meekness and clemency. The restored painting has been reinforced on the back with wooden strips. It is presented in a stylish frame.