Giuseppe Marchesi

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting has a fairly old glue lining and seems to be still stretched on its original stretcher. Structurally this lining is not adequate anymore and fresh structural restoration is in order. The paint layer is extremely dirty and will respond well to cleaning. It is not abraded or visibly stained and the paint layer seems to be very fresh and well worth restoration. There are some rather obvious structural damages, one in the upper right where a very complex tear has been loosely restored, another in the upper left where a vertical tear has been repaired and a third in the upper center. Luckily, in the figure group itself there is very little restoration except in the shoulder and ear of the kneeling figure of the lower right. Considering that the figure group in the bulk of the lower two-thirds of the picture is in beautiful state, the condition may be considered to be extremely good, despite the fairly elaborate structural problems in the upper background.
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A faithful adherent to the tenets of Bolognese classicism, Giuseppe Marchesi nevertheless combined his solidly modeled forms (inherited from his masters Aurelio Milani and Marcantonio Franceschini) with a rich and rococo palette (under the influence of Donato Creti).  Although firm biographical information for the artist is somewhat scant, his appearance must have been impressive; he was given the sobriquet "Sansone" or "Sampson" apparently because of his imposing physique.¹  His earliest datable independent work is the remarkable, large canvas of the Abduction of Helen painted in 1725 for the Casa Mentasti, Bologna (in situ), which despite his youth, displays the artist's full command of elaborate, multifigural composition.

The present rediscovered work would appear to date from the 1730's, when Marchesi was at the height of his creative powers.  He was producing works for ecclesiastical patrons throughout the north of Italy, even painting frescoes for the oratory of Santa Maria di Galliera (1730-44), undoubtedly his most publicly conspicuous work.  However, commissions from private collectors were also numerous, and Marchesi produced paintings of great variety and differing themes during these years.  The composition of this Raising of Jairus' Daughter suggests a dating from this moment.  The lingering influences of Francesichini can be seen (for example in the elegantly posed figure of Christ at the left of the composition).  The kneeling female servant at lower right, amazed a the miracle taking place, is reminiscent in handling and facial type to the similarly placed figure of Judith's servant in the Judith and Holofernes by Marchesi in the Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna (inv.7067), which has been dated to circa 1730.

1.  For a more full discussion of Marchesi and his career, please see R. Roli, "Per la pittura del Setttecento a Bologna: Giuseppe Marchesi," in Paragone, vol. 22,  n. 261, November 1971, pp. 15-30.