Gaetano Gandolfi

Intended for private devotion and originating from a private chapel, this delightful, unlined work by Gaetano Gandolfi, is an important addition to the artist's known œuvre. Ganfodlfi is considered to be one of the last great exponents of the Bolognese baroque tradition, dominating the art scene in northern Italy in the second half of the eighteenth century. Initialed and dated 1795 on the reverse of the original canvas, this well-preserved autograph work displays all the hallmarks of his mature style: dynamic and fluid brushstrokes, beautifully-worked impasto and bright colours.

A drawing for this composition is in a private collection. Prof. Donatella Biagi Maino, to whom we are grateful, inspected the work first-hand a number of years ago, alongside its preparatory drawing, and endorses the attribution to Gaetano Gandolfi.