Giovanni Battista Salvi, called Sassoferrato

Possibly Sir John Foley Grey Bart., of Enville Hall, Stourbridge;
His sale, London, Christie's, 27 February 1931, lot 142 (one of 3 pictures);
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 7 October 1981, lot 59 (where incorrectly described as 'Studio of Sassoferrato', and with provenance as listed above).

The catalogue illustration is quite faithful to the picture. The canvas has a relatively old relining which still holds well. The painting is not dirty but the varnish layer is uneven and partially discoloured: it has gone opaque, for example, on the Virgin's blue drapery and in parts of the background. The figure of the Virgin was solidly painted and has not suffered at all from wear, either on her flesh tones or on her drapery. Ultra-violet light reveals a discoloured retouching near her eyebrow (0.5 by 1cm.); another on her forehead (1.5 by 1cm.); another on the tip of her index finger as well as a repaired damage on the drapery just beside it. A strip of retouching is visible along both vertical edges and another along the lower edge; these probably mark the edge of the original canvas, where it was attached to the relining canvas, and perhaps where the painting's original frame rubbed the surface. No other significant damages are visible under ultra-violet light but, given that the painting is hard to read through its current uneven varnish, a few more minor scattered retouchings may become visible after cleaning. This lot is offered in a reproduction 17th-century style gilt wood frame, painted crudely with black between corners, in good condition. NB: there is an existing hole (possibly used for hanging) upper centre.
"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 beautiful head of the Madonna in prayer is related to Sassoferrato's famous painting in the Galleria Estense, Modena, in which the Madonna is shown three-quarter-length, covering the sleeping Christ Child with a white sheet.¹ That composition ultimately derives from a Guido Reni invention: the original, now lost, was in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, and its appearance is known through an engraving by Guillaume Vallet (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris).²  In the present painting Sassoferrato has reduced the composition to the Madonna's head only and has brought her right hand up to her chest in a pose of modesty. We are grateful to Prof. François Macé de Lépinay for endorsing the attribution to Sassoferrato on the basis of photographs, and for pointing out the existence of another autograph version of this composition in the convent of San Pedro de Alcantara, Arenas de San Pedro (in Spain). An inferior variant was sold London, Bonhams, 30 October 2002, and again on 10 December 2003.

1.  See F. Macé de Lépinay, Giovan Battista Salvi "Il Sassoferrato", exhibition catalogue, Sassoferrato, 29 June - 14 October 1990, pp. 80-81, cat. no. 28, reproduced in colour (and on the cover of the catalogue). Another version by Sassoferrato was with Galerie Heim, Paris, in 1974 and was later sold, London, Christie's, 17 December 1999, lot 57.
2.  See D.S. Pepper, Guido Reni, L'Opera Completa, Novara 1988, no. 107, there engraved by E. Gherardini.