Mauro Gandolfi Bologna 1764 - 1834

This study of an old man, almost certainly done from life, is preparatory for the figure of Saint Jerome in Mauro's altar-frontal of circa 1792, destined for the main altar of the church of Santa Maria delle Laudi, Bologna, and today in the possession of the Amministrazione Provinciale (inv. 2936; reproduced in colour in Bagni, see Literature, pp. 477-8, cat. no. 448). The frontal, for which there is a bozzetto in a private collection (see Fig. 1), was designed around an oval Madonna and Child attributed to Lippo di Dalmasio and although some changes were made (namely the girl with a bonnet was transformed into Saint James) the overall composition remained the same. Although preparatory for Mauro's altar-frontal and attributed to him by both Donatella Biagi Maino (private correspondance) and Prisco Bagni (op. cit.), the latter does not rule out a collaboration between Mauro and his father Gaetano, in whose studio he was working at that time (1787-96). Indeed an attribution to Gaetano has also been independently proposed by Mimi Cazort (private correspondance to the owner).

A very similar study of a hermit holding a rosary, also by Mauro, was with Didier Aaron.