Attributed to Domenico Buti active in Florence circa 1570-1590

All three thick panels are uncradled and stable. The varnishes are clear and even, the paint surface is stable and there are no major damages visible to the naked eye. The miracle of the fire: inspection under ultraviolet light reveals scattered minor restorations throughout and an inch squared area of restoration in the lower left corner. There is a hairline 9cm. crack which runs horizontally from the left margin, below the hand of the figure on the left. Giovanni Colombini breaking bread: inspection under ultraviolet light reveals very few scattered retouchings. Pope Urban V: inspection under ultraviolet light reveals scattered retouchings, including a 5cm. line of retouching in the leg of the kneeling monk, centre, and another behind the heel of the standing monk on the left.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These three panels are rare works by Domenico Buti, one of the painters of Francesco de Medici’s celebrated studiolo in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Buti’s Allegory of Distillery in the studiolo is signed and dated 1570, and his participation in the decorative cycle suggests he must have been an artist of some standing despite the scarcity of anagraphical information that has reached us. The style of the allegory would suggest that his idiom derived from Bronzino and not from Santi di Tito, as has sometimes been suggested.

Colombini founded the religious order known as the Jesuati in 1360 in Siena, and was granted sanction for the order in 1367 by Pope Urban V after the latter’s return from Avignon. The order was disbanded in 1668 by Pope Clement IX.

The attribution was first proposed by Dott. Alessandro Nesi and tentatively endorsed by Dott. Carlo Falciani.