BONIFAZIO DE' PITATI, CALLED BONIFAZIO VERONESE | The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and Mary Magdalen

With J.E. Goedhart, Amsterdam, by 1898;
Dr. Richard von Schnitzler (1855–1938), Cologne, by 1918;
Anonymous sale, Lucerne, Galerie Fischer, 29–30 June 1973, lot 86;
Where acquired by the parents of the present owner.

Cologne, Kunstverein, Alte Kunst aus Kölner Privatbesitz: Renaissance und Barock, November 1929, no. 4.

E. Lüthgen and W. Bombe, Die Sammlung Dr. Richard von Schnitzler, Leipzig 1918, p. 63, reproduced fig. 3;
O.H. Förster, Die Sammlung Dr. Richard von Schnitzler, Munich 1931, p. 38, cat. no. 57, reproduced pl. XXXII, fig. 57.

The canvas has an old relining, which is still sound but a little rigid. The painting is in fair overall condition, but there are a considerable number of old losses across the picture surface, chiefly in the curtain behind the Madonna, in the robes of the Magdalen, and along all four margins, especially lower centre. These have all been stopped out but not restored, and are clearly visible in the catalogue illustration. The remaining paint surface has been surface cleaned and is generally in good order - the colours rich and vibrant throughout - though some areas, notably in the sky, have become worn. There otherwise appears to be no further intervention and the painting is unvarnished. The lower edge has probably been trimmed.
"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."

Bonifazio Veronese's perennial interest in the Sacra Conversazione was conceived in the workshop of his great Venetian master, Palma Vecchio (1480–1528). Bonifazio's interest in the genre so associated with Palma continued throughout his independent career, and it seems clear that he and his workshop actively sought to fulfill the demand for such paintings that had been generated by his mentor and Titian (1488–1576). We are grateful to Prof. Peter Humfrey for endorsing the attribution of the present work to Bonifazio, and for dating it to the mid-1530s. The Madonna and Child attended by a group of saints was an extremely popular subject, particularly in Venice, due to the adaptability of the figures represented, which could be interchanged to suit the requirements of the patron, in a domestic or ecclesiastical context. The setting of the 'holy communion' also became flexible. Having largely been situated within church architecture, in the paintings of artists such as Cima da Conegliano (1459–1517), the sacred company was transported to the pastoral landscape of the Veneto. Such is the case here, although the green curtain behind the Madonna retains a sense of architectural structure and symmetry, a feature common to many of Bonifazio's works most indebted to Palma; see, for example, the painting in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence of the early 1520s.¹

1 Inv. no. 84; see B. Berenson, Italian Pictures of the Renaissance. Venetian School, London 1957, vol. I, p. 42, reproduced vol. II, pl. 1137.