Antonio Maria Vassallo

In the collection of the family of the present owner since at least the 18th century.

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The original canvas is lined and the paint layer is raised and unstable, with obvious discoloured restoration and loss, e.g. to the top left and bottom right, to the edges and to the right of the red cloak. Other repaired paint loss to a damage through the shoulder of the kneeling figure, to Christ's left side and scattered across the surface can be detected. Some of the dark ground has come to dominate the naturally thinly painted areas. Generally in a good preserved condition with passages of paint that have aged well. The varnish is discoloured and its removal would improve the tonality."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This hitherto unknown and unpublished work by Vassallo is an exciting addition to his oeuvre and should be compared to the Flora with three Putti, listed by Orlando as in the Collection Viganò, Milan,¹ where nearly the same pose used here for Christ, is used for Flora. The compact nature to the monogram appears on several of Vassallo's paintings, for example in Ceres bestowing her gifts on the Earth.² Genoese painting during the 17^th century was deeply influenced by Northern artists; as a cosmopolitan trading city it had attracted visits from both Sir Peter Paul Rubens in 1605-6 and Sir Anthony Van Dyck in 1621-22, as well as several other Flemings including Pieter Boel and Lucas and Cornelis de Wael, and the Flemish style was soon to be adopted and developed by native artists such as Giovanni Bernardo Carbone and Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione.  Vassallo was born into a wealthy family, and so started his training with the Flemish painter Vicente Malo, and through this training he was to become well acquainted with the dominant taste in the city; indeed, the influence of Rubens and Van Dyck cast a strong shadow over the religious works by Vassallo, an influence clearly felt in this Flagellation.  

 

1. A. Orlando, Anton Maria Vassallo, Genoa 2004, pp. 23-4, reproduced 23.
2. ibid, pp. 112-3, cat. no. I.27, reproduced.