ANTIVEDUTO GRAMATICA | David returning triumphant with the head of Goliath

Principi De Ferrari, Palazzo de Ferrari, Genoa;
Anonymous sale, Rome, Christie's, 18 June 2003, lot 420, where acquired.

Siena, Palazzo Squarcialupi, Roma e Siena: Echi e opera. Raffaello e Caravaggio al centro di un rapporto millenario, November 2005 – February 2006.

B. Santi and C. Strinati (eds), Roma e Siena: Echi e opera. Raffaello e Caravaggio al centro di un rapporto millenario, exh. cat., Siena 2005, pp. 412–13.

The painting has a firm relining that has somewhat pressed the paint surface. The painting has a clear and even varnish. The pigment throughout the sky appears to have oxidised, and there is a degree of wear throughout. Inspection under ultraviolet reveals retouching, most notably to repaired damages: along the top half of the left margin and extending into the neck and arm of David; in the shadows of the neck and cheek of the girl playing the drum, as well as the upper right of her arm and the upper part of her forearm; in the neck, chest, cheek and forehead of the figure holding a tambourine; in the cheek and forehead of the head of Goliath; and to a smaller network of repaired tears in the chest of the figure holding a triangle. There is a significant degree of further restoration scattered throughout, notably in the sky to disguise the aforementioned wear. The picture is however well presented and requires no further intervention. Offered in a carved and gilt wood frame with minor losses.
"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."

Antiveduto was highly considered by his contemporaries and was elected 'principe' of the Accademia di San Luca in 1624. He painted this large canvas in the characteristic chiaroscuro which defined Roman art of the first two decades of the seventeenth century – it shows an assuredness and complexity of design, particularly in the web of figures to the right, not always evident in the artist's corpus. The large dimensions of the canvas, as well as the quality, suggest that the painting was surely intended for a large quadreria and may have been commissioned by one of the artist's major patrons, such as the Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani or Cardinal Del Monte, though no archival findings can confirm this hypothesis yet.  The scene shows the young David returning to Jerusalem, denoted by the city walls, after his triumph over the Philistine hero, Goliath. From the city six figures rush out with musical instruments to cheer his success and the Israelites' victory, in much the same way as the citizens of Jerusalem were to celebrate Christ's entry into the city some centuries later. In the distance the Vale of Elah can be made out, where the battle between the Israelites and Philistines was fought, as well as Bethlehem, making explicit the identification of David as the precursor of Christ.

The attractive maiden to the right playing the tambourine recalls the physiognomy, as well as the richly-embroidered dress, of the figure of Justice in Antiveduto's Justice and Peace embracing, the present whereabouts of which are unknown.¹ Several other works by the artist include the theme of music and musical instruments, including the Saint Cecilia with two angels in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.²

1. G. Papi, Antiveduto Gramatica, Soncino 1995, p. 120, cat. no. 69, reproduced fig. 42.
2. Ibid., p. 106, cat. no. 40, reproduced fig. 27.