Giovanni Francesco Romanelli called Il Viterbese

Anonymous sale, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Aguttes, 14 June 2005, lot 50, where acquired for €120,000.

S. Bruno, "Le qualità della prima bottega cortonesca", in Paragone, vol. LVII, 68 (677), July 2006, pp. 48-49, footnote 101, reproduced in colour fig. 38.

The colours in the catalogue illustration are quite representative of the painting. The support is made of a thick copper plate. The painting has been relatively recently cleaned and restored. The varnish is clear, though slightly uneven. The sky appears to have suffered wear, probably due to aggressive overcleaning in the past, and now the browns in the clouds are showing through. Inspection under ultra-violet light reveals substantial retouching in the sky, albeit carefully applied, almost certainly intended to homogenise the appearance of the sky and the mountains in the far distance. The landscape, on the other hand, is beautifully preserved and it, as well as the tree at left, retains much of its original brushwork and beautifully rendered details. The figures, which for the most part are also nicely preserved, have been carefully strengthened (as have their shadows) but this has been sensitively carried out and is only visible under ultra-violet light. This lot is offered in a Salvator Rosa-style gilt wood frame, in good condition, and the painting could be hung as is.
"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."

This copper of Tobias and the Angel constitutes an extremely rare example of landscape painting in Romanelli's oeuvre. The woodland, river and fortified town beyond are all reminiscent of Domenichino and his followers, Giovanni Battista Viola and Pietro Paolo Bonzi in particular, but the figures of Tobias and the Archangel Raphael, with their delicate features and elegant classicism, are unmistakeably Cortonesque and very characteristic of Romanelli's style. In his biography on the artist, Giovanni Battista Passeri (1610-1679) suggests that Romanelli trained with Domenichino and states that prior to leaving Rome for Naples in 1631, Domenichino personally advised his pupil to profit from Cortona's rising success and reputation.¹  There is no evidence of this having been the case but the present painting certainly points to Romanelli's interest in the landscapes being painted by Domenichino and his circle in Rome during the 1620s. We do know that Romanelli was apprenticed to Pietro da Cortona and assisted him on the decoration of the Palazzo Barberini in Rome from 1631 (and possibly before). Indeed the influence of Cortona in this landscape should not be underestimated: though on a different scale and support to Cortona's Landscape with Two Temples (Musei Vaticani, Rome) and Landscape with the calling of Peter and Andrew (Collection of the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth), the feathery trees and sweeping vista with fantastical buildings are not dissimilar.²

Dott.ssa Silvia Bruno, who was the first to propose an attribution to Romanelli when the copper first appeared at auction in 2005, has suggested a date of execution circa 1630; a date and attribution independently endorsed on the basis of photographs by Dott.ssa Ursula Fischer Pace, to whom we are also grateful.  

1.  G.B. Passeri, Vite de' pittori, scultori ed architetti che anno lavorato in Roma, morti dal 1641 fino al 1673, Rome 1773 (1934 ed.), p. 305.
2.  Landscape with Two Temples(oil on canvas, 84 by 110 cm.) painted for Marcello Sacchetti; Landscape with the calling of Saint Peter and Andrew (oil on canvas, 117.5 by 167.5 cm.): see L. Rice, "A newly discovered landscape by Pietro da Cortona", in The Burlington Magazine, vol. CXXIX, no. 1007, Feburary 1987, pp. 73-77, both reproduced figs. 10 (in colour) and 11.