* Francesco Raibolini, called il Francia and Giacomo Francia Bologna circa 1486-1577 Bologna circa 1450 - 1517

Anonymous sale, Paris, Ader Picard Tajan, April 9, 1991, lot 13 (as Giacomo Francia).

E. Negro and N. Roio, Francesco Francia e la Sua Scuola, Modena 1998, p. 248, cat. no. 168.

Negro and Roio date the present work to the period 1510-15, based on the close relationship to two devotional paintings by Francia and his studio, one in Galeria Nazionale, Parma (see Negro and Roio Literature, cat. no. 125) and the second in the Dresden Museum (see Negro and Roio Literature, cat. no. 141). The high quality of the present work suggests that it was painted by Francesco Francia, most likely with the help of his eldest son Giacomo. Negro and Roio note that the Dresden and Parma pictures were also painted by Francia with the collaboration of his studio. In all three pictures the treatment of the figures is very similar and, in particular, the Madonna and Child share the same physiognomy. Negro notes that the treatment of the face of St. Catherine suggests the intervention of the young artist Bartolomeo Ramenghi, called Bagnacavallo another artist who was briefly active in Francia's studio.