Taddeo di Bartolo

Edwin D. Levinson, Cedarhurst, Long Island, 1930s;
With Wildenstein, New York, by 1953;
Anna Moffo, by 1970;
Dino Fabri;
By whom anonymously sold ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Sotheby's, November 1, 1978, lot 2.

 

Detroit, Institute of Arts, Italian Paintings of the XIV to XVI Century, 1933,  reproduced cat. no. 47;
New York, World's Fair, Masterpieces of Art, 1939, no. 393, reproduced pl. 6 (as by Andrea Vanni).

W.R. Valentiner, in Pantheon, August 1933, p. 238, reproduced p. 239 (as by Andrea Vanni).

 

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 beautiful panel has recently been beautifully restored and should be hung as is. The reverse of the panel is cradled. Under ultraviolet light it is not possible to positively identify any restorations to the picture, except possibly in the headdress of the Madonna, yet even these cracks may be original. The issue is whether there are restorations to the picture which are not visible under ultraviolet light. Although the light colors of the figure group, the faces, the shirt, the lace and the dove are well preserved, it is very likely that there are restorations in the darker cloak of the Madonna. The gilding of the surround looks beautiful, the tool work is also marvelous and it is more than likely to be the original gilding. The frame has been beautifully repaired and also shows good signs of being original. The picture should be hung as is.
"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."

We are grateful to Everett Fahy for confirming this to be a work by Taddeo di Bartolo, based on firsthand inspection. We are also grateful to Gail Solberg who also supports the attribution to Taddeo di Bartolo, based on an image.  However, she notes the close stylistic affinity with works by Andrea Vanni (to whom this picture had been ascribed by W. R. Valentiner, see Literature) and has speculated that the work might have been drawn or laid out by Vanni and painted by Taddeo.  The composition with the Christ child on the left is unusual, but not unknown in Taddeo's work, and other examples can be found in the Museo d'Arte Scara Madonna, Volterra and in the Pinacoteca Civica, Savona.