Alessandro Turchi, called l'Orbetto

 

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 painting on slate has been recently restored and should be hung in its current condition. Examination of the reverse shows a diagonal crack that has been glued. On the surface, one can faintly see that this crack, which begins in the upper right and ends in the lower left, has been repaired and has received some restoration. However, the surface is very smooth and is mostly uninterrupted by this crack. The restoration is very good. The restoration to the crack is faintly visible under ultraviolet light, but it is very confined and only interferes with the work in a very minor way. Elsewhere, isolated spots of restoration are visible under ultraviolet light, which is certainly not uncommon for works on slate. These spots address fly specks and tiny pits caused by paint losses. They are by no means numerous, and they have been restored very well. The background is presumably a dark glaze over dark slate, but the figures themselves are very healthy. Again, the work should be hung as is.
"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."

This beautiful scene from the Passion, painted on slate and previously unpublished, is an early work by Alessandro Turchi, called Orbetto.  Turchi’s smooth modeling and careful brushwork lent themselves well to hard supports such as slate and copper.  Here the artist exploits the medium to provide a dramatic nocturnal setting, the dark background creating an accentuated chiaroscuro effect.  The bright torch held high by the figure crouching in the foreground casts a stark light across Christ’s right side, throwing the other figures into relief and allowing Turchi to flaunt the soft, sfumato modeling of flesh on which he so prided himself.  The diminutive scale of this Christ Tied to the Column suggests the work was commissioned by a private patron and intended for domestic devotion.

Born in Verona, Turchi received his initial training in the studio of Felice Brusasorci and moved to Rome circa 1614.  The popular moniker “Orbetto” (meaning "little blind one") by which he appears in many early records is likely to derive from his guiding his father, Silvestro, who had been blinded in an accident at work.  By 1619 he had settled permanently in Rome, becoming a member of the Accademia of San Luca of which he would be elected Principe in 1637, attesting to his high standing among his contemporaries and almost certainly an affiliation with the powerful Barberini family.