Lorenzo de' Ferrari

Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 12 January 1989, lot 97;
There purchased by the present owner.

Frankfurt, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Kunst in der Republik Genua, 5 September-8 November 1992, no. 120.

M.N. Schleier, Kunst in der Republik Genua, exhibition catalogue, Frankfurt 1992, p. 218, cat. no. 120, reproduced in color, plate 122;
M.N. Schleier, Gregorio De Ferrari, Turin 1998, p. 127, under cat. no. 105d, reproduced, fig. 105e.

The canvas has been relined and is stable. The paint surface overall is in fair conditon under an uneven varnish with very minor losses scatterd throughout the composition, some of which are visible to the naked eye. There appear to be a number of small inpainted losses of approximately 1/2 an inch, one above the head of the male figure, one in the back of the right hand cow, and another in the trunk of the tree. There is a thin line of restoration running through the male figure's wrist, following the handle of the sythe and some very small retouches to the female's face beside the ear. There is a slightly larger area of repaint on the lower edge at center. The painting is offered in a carved, gilt wood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The son of Genoese artist Gregorio de' Ferrari, Lorenzo was also the grandson of Domenico Piola. His work was initially dependent on that of his family members, though he developed a personal, more Rococo influenced style later in his career. He is said to have worked with his father, for whom he acted as primary studio assistant, on the restoration of Andrea Ansaldo's dome in San Annunziata, Genoa.  A reduced oil sketch of this composition (Palazzo Rosso, Genoa, inv. 1644) may be by Gregorio, though Mary Newcome Schleier has suggested that the rounded face of Eve indicates that Lorenzo was the likely author. The design for the composition was probably an invention of Gregorio, as are three other scenes devoted to the Creation of Man, from which the present example is the fourth in the series.¹

1. See Schleier 1998, op.cit.