Luca Signorelli and Studio

Possibly in a private collection, Florence, 1955 (according to a note on a photograph in the Berenson collection at Villa I Tatti, Florence);
With Central Picture Galleries, New York (as Luca Signorelli), by whom sold to
Marc and Lillian Rojtman on November 22, 1959;
By whose estate sold, New York, Sotheby's, January 28, 2005, lot 523.

St. Petersburg, Florida, Museum of Fine Arts, Winter Exhibition, 1968 (as Luca Signorelli).

Pharos, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, Winter 1968, vol. VI, no. 4, reproduced in color on the cover;
T. Henry, The Complete Paintings of Luca Signorelli, London 2001, p. 211, under cat. no. 70).

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 reverse of this panel shows the affects of having been worm eaten in the past; however, a series of small and larger battens have been attached to the reverse, which have stabilized the surface fairly well. On the surface itself, there are a few cracks, one running across the center, one halfway down the left side and another half way up the right side. There is also a little instability in the neck of the saint on the left side. The paint layer is quire dirty but apart from a few odd restorations around the edges and attending to a couple of cracks, the paint layer seems to actually be in very healthy condition. Cleaning and re-stabilizing, and possibly some new structural work on the reverse will present the picture much better.
"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."

The painting relates directly to an autograph work by Signorelli today in a private collection in Italy (reproduced in T. Henry, see Literature, p. 211, cat. no. 70).  In Henry's opinion this version, which is faithful to the original in every detail, was painted under Signorelli's supervision in his workshop and he believes that he may have been involved in parts of the picture's execution. He dates the present variant to circa 1510, slightly after the other tondo which is generally believed to have been painted and paid for in 1505.  Based on firsthand inspection Laurence Kanter believes the present painting to be by Luca Signorelli with workshop assistance.