Attributed to Paolo Domenico Finoglio

Acquired by the present owner in the late 1980s.

The painting has recently been cleaned, relined and restored. The paint surface is overall in very nice condition with no major damages or repairs apart from 2 areas of damage approx 2 by 6 and 8 by 5 cm upper left. There are some minor signs of wear, for example in the shadows around the Saint's head and in the lower parts of his drapery. Inspection under UV light reveals intervention to disguise the wear in the above areas and to the folds and shadows in the upper part of the Saint's robes and some minor old damages, the largest of which is 2 by 6, at the bottom of his white robes. There is a small repaired damage of 3 by 2 cm on his right shoulder and an old 10 cm horizontal tear lower left. The restoration has been carefully carried out and bar the upper left corner damage is unobtrusive and not visible to the naked eye. Offered in a later ornate carved and gilt wood frame in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

We are grateful to Professor Nicola Spinosa for tentatively proposing the attribution to Finoglio and for comparing the present Saint Anthony Abbot to Finoglio's lunettes depicting the founding fathers in the Sala del Capitolo in the Certosa of San Martino in Naples, executed before 1626.¹

The ten Founding Fathers of Religious Orders² were carried out at an early stage in the artist's career, when he had come under the influence of Battistello Caracciolo's naturalism. The caravaggesque light emerging from the left of the composition, reflecting off the saint's forehead, and the restrained palette accentuate the focus of the scene. All ten canvases depict elderly men, their brows furrowed in concentration, before a simple background, as echoed in the present work. 


1. For a discussion of Finoglio's work in San Martino see Paolo Finoglio e il suo tempo, exh. cat., Conversano 2000, pp. 43- 50.
2. Op. cit, p. 149, cat. no. 10, reproduced in colour pp. 87-91, plates 10a-l.