Attributed to Boccaccio Boccaccino

The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The delicately modeled face of the Madonna is the highlight of this painting, and one of the best preserved and arresting portions. Discolored retouching addresses wide cracks in the upper left of her face and head coverings, interrupting the smooth modeling. Restoration is found throughout the child and in the Madonna's hands. It seems toning has been applied to shadows in Mary's dress and may exist in the red mantle while the edge of the Madonna's white collar is reconstruction. A thick, aged varnish coats the surface, reducing the illusion of depth and making reading the state of the background difficult. The vertically grained wood panel support, which displays a mild lateral warp, must have been trimmed at the top given the partial crossbar embedded along the top edge. The bottom crossbar is retained, with approximately an inch and a half of wood below it, an indication of how much may have been trimmed from the top. Narrow wood strips have been added to the perimeter of the panel, presumably to aid with framing.
"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."

The faces of the Madonna and Christ Child correspond in style to those painted by Boccaccio Boccaccino during a sojourn in Venice early in his career.  Boccaccino was documented in Venice in 1505 and his works from this period bear the influence of Giovanni Bellini, reflected here in the serene expressions, harmonious composition and elegantly posed figures.

We are grateful to Professor Andrea De Marchi for suggesting an alternative attribution to Pasqualino Veneto after firsthand inspection and to Professor Marco Tanzi (on the basis of photographs) for suggesting it may be the work of an artist active in Parma, in the ambit of Cristoforo Caselli and Francesco Marmitta.