Luigi Amidani

The canvas is in good, stable condition with an old glue relining. The paint surface is a little dirty beneath the varnish and has been slightly pressed in the relining process. There is a slight horizontal crack to the paint surface running the width of the painting approximately 12 inches from the upper edge. There is some unevenness to the area of paint at the lower right edge, possibly due to the varnish. Inspection under UV is impeded by the varnish which fluoresces green and uneven, hindering a clear reading. The painting could be hung in its present state or lightly cleaned and revarnished, according to taste. Offered in an elaborately carved gilt wood frame with \
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.

Daniele Benati identified this previously unpublished painting as the work of Luigi Amidani.¹  Amidani spent the early stages of his career in his home city of Parma before working in Milan and later in Spain.  While many of his paintings were influenced by Bartolomeo Schedoni and Annibale Carracci, Amidani worked in a variety of styles and his corpus is somewhat eclectic.

Alberto Crispo recognized this Christ Bound as an autograph replica of a canvas in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.  The prototype is listed by the museum as "Italian School" but was recently identified by Crispo as Luigi Amidani.²  

We are grateful to Daniele Benati for proposing the attribution and to Alberto Crispo for endorsing it, both on the basis of photographs. 

 

1.  Written communication, dated 3 November 2015.
2.  Written communication, dated 5 November 2015.