CARLO MARATTI | Madonna and child adored by three angels

The copper support is flat and stable. The paint surface is also stable, and presents a strong, crisp image that retains lovely detail. There are some faint areas of wear to the copper concentrated along the extreme edges, and a few small and scattered old spots of retouching for example, in the background at upper right as well as in the arm of the angel at right, a small spot in the pillow at center, and small spots of retouching in the red robe of angel at right. Inspection under UV reveals a milky varnish that is difficult to read through in areas. Some spots of retouching in the Virgin's blue robe off of her right shoulder, as well as the paler blue robe hovering to the right of her head to address some of the sunken shadows. It also reveals some attention to the wear around the edges. UV light also reveals two areas of inconsistency to the surface at the varnish level, but these are not distracting to the naked eye. The painting is offered in a decoratively carved giltwood frame.
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This graceful composition by Carlo Maratti repeats a detail found at the center of his celebrated Adoration of the Shepherds fresco executed in 1656-1657 as part of a grand decorative cycle commissioned by Pope Alexander VII for the Palazzo Quirinale in Rome.  The intimate arrangement of the Madonna and Child adored by three angels, one of whom tenderly kisses the hand of Christ, proved a successful source of inspiration for reduced replicas, with slight variations, that Maratti made for private devotion.  The present work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on the works of Carlo Maratti being prepared by Prof. Stella Rudolph, who dates it to no later than the mid-1660s.<sup>1

1.  Prof. Stella Rudolph's letter, dated 12 January 2018, is available upon request.</sup>