Attributed to Bernardino di Bosio Zaganelli , called Bernardino da Cotignola Cotignola circa 1470- circa 1510

The composition and conception of the present work is very close in style to the early works of Bernardino Zaganelli, before he began his colloboration with his brother Francesco.  There are a small number of paintings of this period, which include: Madonna and Child with the Baptist and St. Florian (signed by both artists and dated 1499); Madonna and Child with the Magdalene and Saint Christina (Kress Foundation, New York), and two panels both representing the Madonna with the Magdalene and Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Private collection, Zurich, and Private collection, US).  The present panel is perhaps closest to the last of these pictures (sold Sotheby's, New York, May 27, 2004, lot 88; also R. Zama, Gli Zaganelli, Rimini 1994, p. 104, cat. no. 7).  The Madonna is shown seated much higher than her attendant saints, with an open landscape on both sides.  The painter also uses the unusal device of a wall before all of the figures, hemming them in and seperating them from the viewer.  

This group of pictures has generally been dated by scholars to about 1499 or slightly before, with the exception of Andrea de Marchi who prefers a date of just a few years after 1500 (see A. de Marchi, "Bernardino Zaganelli," Da Biduino ad Algardi, Pittura e Scultura a confronto, Turino 1990, p. 108).   It seems reasonable, therefore, to date the present panel at a similar date of the late 1490's.