CARLO FRANCESCO NUVOLONE | Susanna and the Elders

The actual painting is less dark and shows more contrast than the catalogue illustration would suggest. Painted on a single piece of panel showing a few tiny traces of old woodworm holes on the reverse. Two vertical strips of wood are inserted in the panel on each side at ca. 5 cm from both left and right edges. A few tiny retouched old woodworms’ holes are visible in the upper left corner. The painted surface seems to be in a good condition with most of its impastos well preserved. Some minor thinness can be observed in the dark area of the composition, upper right in the fountain, lower left and some in the figures. The painted surface is covered with a dirty and discolored varnish layer and would benefit from cleaning. Some discolored retouchings can be seen throughout but mainly concentrated in the dark area. Under the UV light The varnish layer fluoresces almost completely showing strenghtenings in the lower left corner, to the right of Suzanna’s lower leg, in the tree area and along the upper edge. Offered with a carved and giltwood (plaster?) frame.
"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."

Mr Filippo Maria Ferro points out that the inscription on the verso of this small painting, which refers to Murillo, is intriguing. Several times this reference to Murillo in relation to Carlo Francesco Nuvolone is seen in the context of collecting in the second half of the seventeenth century. The painting of Susanna and the Elders attests to the great care Nuvolone has dedicated to this theme of seduction (see F. M. Ferro, Nuvolone una famiglia di pittori nella Milano del '600, Soncino 2003, pp. 181-182; F. M. Ferro, Carlo Francesco Nuvolone e la "seduzioni" della pittura, in: Nuvolone tra sacro e profane al Sacro Monte sopra Varese, exh. cat., Musei Civici di Varese, 2012-2013, pp. 24-35).

As in other cases, this painting represents a preliminary study worked up in the studio. We are grateful to Mr Filippo Maria Ferro for endorsing the attribution on the basis of photographs and for his assistance in the cataloguing of this lot.