Ferrarese School, 16th century

William Randolph Hearst;
By whose estate sold, 16 January 1961;
Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's 28 May 1999, lot 20b;
There purchased by the present collector.

Both panels are uncradled with a slight vertical bow. There is evidence of old worm activity on the reverses and in the engaged frames on the faces. Though there are scattered minor liftings and losses, both still present very impressive images and read well. Under UV St. John has scattered retouches throughout, though mostly in the right side and in the red drapery. There is scattered repaint in the fleshtones and hair and throughout the background. St. Paul has retouching to the right side through the lower section of green drapery which is somewhat abraded. There are retouches to the right side of the face, the nose and eyes and very small retouches in the hair, beard and background areas. The paintings overall read well ad retain a good impasto.
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.

Despite their elegant and distinctive style, this enigmatic pair of saints has thus far eluded attribution.  At the time of their sale in 1999 (see Provenance) the paintings were compared to the work of Sebastiano Filippi, painting in Ferrara in the second half of the 16^th century.  Filippo trained under his father, Camillo and was schooled in the manner of painting of the great Ferrarese artists, Dosso Dossi and Garofalo.  Like the present saints, Filippi’s figures have certain gravity and monumental quality.  In Filippi’s Baptism of Romano by Saint Lawrence, now in the Pinacoteca Nazionale, Ferrara the figures have a similar physiognomy to that of Saint John and Saint Paul, with pointed noses, broad brow, and small, deep set eyes. ¹  The dense physicality of the present figures, and the soft sfumato effects employed to represent the heavy drapery and broad musculature are indebted to Dosso Dossi.     

1.  Fondazione Federico Zeri Fototeca archive, entry no. 41851.