Alessandro Marzanti, active in Firenze in the XIXth century

Ordered to the artist Alessandro Marzanti by Carlo Francesco Birigozzi on the 23 September 1857

A l'oeil nu, le tableau apparaît dans un très bel état de conservation. Il est peint sur une toile carré à surface peinte circulaire, les écoinçons de la toile sont blanc. L'oeuvre est toujours sur sa toile d'origine et sous un vernis ancien. On remarque un très petit manque au dessus de la tête de l'enfant Jésus. Le tableau est dans un spectaculaire cadre en bois sculpté doré qui est son cadre d'origine. A la lampe UV : on ne remarque aucune restauration. To the naked eye, the painting is in a very fine condition. It is a tondo painted on a squarish canvas. Each corners of the canvas are still white. The painting is still on its original canvas and under an old varnish. We can see a very small lack of painting above the head of the Infant Jesus. The painting is its impressive giltwood sculpted original frame. Under the UV light : green uniformly varnish. We cannot see any restoration.
"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."

Our painting is evidently a beautiful version of the famous Madonna della seggiola. It is a work by the Florentine artist, Alessandro Marzanti, who copied this classic at the Palazzo Pitti in 1859. This work is a lovely illustration of the revival of interest for Raphael’s pure and openly sensible outlines during the 19th century. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres also reproduced the famous Madonna certainly during his Florentine stay between 1820 and 1824.