Giovanni Battista Langetti

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's 9 July 1999, lot 201;
There purchased by the present collector.

M. Stefani Mantovanelli, "Langetti e il tema stoico di Frine tenta Senocrate. Possibili implicazioni iconologiche" in, Un’identità: custody dell’arte e della memoria; Studi, interpretazioni, testimonianze in ricordo di Aldo Rizzi, Arte Documento, Quaderni, 12, 2007, p. 272;
M. Stefani Mantovanelli, Giovanni Battista Langetti: Il Principe dei Tenebrosi, Soncino 2011, pp. 228-9, cat. no. 142, reproduced in color, plate LX.

For a high resolution digital image, please refer to the online catalogue at Sothebys.com or contact a member of the Old Master Paintings department. 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 broad and muscular painting has not been recently restored and would certainly respond to some attention. The canvas has an old lining. While the paint layer is stable, the cracking is a little raised and uneven in places. The original canvas is joined horizontally through the head of Lot. The painting seems to be quite dirty at present. There are restorations visible here and there under ultraviolet light. The daughter in the far right shows retouching under her chin. It is probably fair to say that the dark colors in this picture have received the bulk of retouching, as one would expect. The paint layers seem to be much healthier in the figures themselves. However, beneath the varnish, it may be that the daughter in the upper center has received some retouches, such as to her right shoulder for instance. I do believe that the picture is worth cleaning to get the most out of the variety of colors and textures, and good retouching would certainly be beneficial.
"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."

At an early age, Langetti moved from his native Genoa to Rome where he studied under Pietro da Cortona. From there, it is thought that he travelled to Naples, where he was exposed to the work of the Neapolitan masters Ribera and Giordano, both of whose work would have a profound impact on Langetti's oeuvre. He eventually left Naples and went to Venice, where he spent the last twenty years of his career and enjoyed great success.

In the present painting, the blending of Langetti's personal style with Neapolitan characteristics is evident in the artist's vibrant brushwork, and his dramatic use of light and chiaroscuro. Langetti's interest in human anatomy is also apparent in his textural depiction of Lot's musculature, which conveys a strong sense of realism.

A picture of similar dimensions was sold London, Christie's, 10 July 1981, lot 68, which depicted a subsequent scene from the story of Lot. This suggests that Langetti executed a series of canvases from this story.