Giovanni Santi

With Altomani, Pesaro, until 1995;
From whom acquired.

Pesaro, Musei Civici, Il Cristo morto: opera inedita di Giovanni Santi, 22 July - 2 October 1994.

C. Giardini, Il Cristo morto: opera inedita di Giovanni Santi, exhibition catalogue, 1994, reproduced in colour on the cover;
R. Varese, Giovanni Santi, Pesaro 1994, p. 232, reproduced pp. 143, fig. 9, and p. 232 (incorrectly listed as in the Pinacoteca Civica, Pesaro);
C. Limentani Virdis in R. Varese (ed.), 'Alcune note e proposte sul fiamminghismo di Giovanni Santi', in Giovanni Santi: Atti del Convegno internazionale di studi, Milan 1999, p. 118;
A. Tempestini in R. Varese (ed.), ' L'Iconografia del Cristo morto nelle regioni adriatiche occidentali', in Giovanni Santi: Atti del Convegno internazionale di studi, Milan 1999, reproduced in reverse p. 175, fig. 8 (incorrectly listed as in the Pinacoteca Civica, Pesaro);
R. Varese in P. Dal Poggetto (ed.), I Della Rovere. Piero della Francesca, Raffaello, Tiziano, exhibition catalogue, 2004, p. 278, under cat. no. II.5;
M.R. Valazzi in L. Mochi Onori (ed.), Raffaello e Urbino, Milan 2009, exhibition catalogue, p. 57, reproduced in colour p. 55, fig. 5.

The catalogue illustration is representative. Painted on a single flat table panel. The paint surface is in good overall condition with no damage or loss of paint apart from an old split down the grain running through Christ's shoulder as can be seen in the catalogue illustration. There is also evidence of old minor distresses in his face and through his chest, including one circular very minor crack in his right armpit. Otherwise the background is thin and there is surface dirt and a varnish overall. Examination under ultraviolet reveals evidence of strengtheing to the red halo and some minor scattered work in the background but this is difficult to discern because of the dirty varnish. There is also some scattered minor retouchings in the fleshtones but overll the condition is good and the picture is read to hand. Offered in an engaged gilt wood frame in good overall condition.
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Giovanni Santi enjoyed considerable success both at court and in society and his thriving workshop not only monopolized the market with its production of paintings, but attracted a circle of intellectuals and artists, creating a dominant artistic centre in Urbino toward the end of the fifteenth century.¹ It was within these inspiring surroundings that Giovanni’s son, Raphael, was to train and flourish.

Giovanni Santi’s work was greatly influenced by contemporary Flemish painters whose works he would have encountered at the court in Urbino.²  Indeed Raineri Varese (see Literature) considered this painting to have been inspired by Dirk Bouts’ Christ Crowned with Thorns, now in the National Gallery, London (inv. no. NG 1083) and dated between 1470 and 1475.³  The existence of an earlier variant of the present composition, in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino (inv. no. 1990 D63) allows a better understanding of Giovanni Santi’s development of this theme and throws into relief the high quality and simplistic elegance of this more mature work.

We are grateful to Professor Filippo Todini for pointing out that the probable pendant, depicting Saint Anthony of Padua, is in a private collection (see fig. 1)

The attribution has been confirmed by Professor Andrea De Marchi after inspection of the original.

1.  See M.R. Valazzi, under Literature, p. 53.
2.  See R. Varese 2004, under Literature.
3.  See R. Varese 1994, under Literature.