CARLO INNOCENZO CARLONE | THE HOLY TRINITY

Private collection, United States, by 1962;

Private collection, Bergish Gladbach, Germany, by 1986;

Anonymous sale, Zurich, Koller, 19 September 2008, lot 3080.

K. Garas, 'Carlo Carlone und die Deckenmalerei in Wien am Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts,' in Actae Historiae Artium, VIII, 1962, pp. 274-275, reproduced fig. 9;

K. Garas and W. Hansmann, Carlo Innocenzo Carlone, 1686-1775: Ölskizzen, Salzburg 1986, p. 102.

Salzburg, Salzburger Barockmuseum, Carlo Innocenzo Carlone, 1686 - 1775: Ölskizzen 25 June - 7 September 1986, no. 41;

Bonn, Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Himmel, Ruhm und Herrlichkeit, Italianische Künstler an rheinischen Höfen des Barock, 15 June - 6 August 1989, no. 44.

Dating to circa 1772, this Holy Trinity is a preliminary sketch for a one of a series of ceiling frescoes in the Asti Cathedral in Piemonte, Carlo Innocenzo Carlone's last large commission. As a fully autograph work, this sketch is particularly important, because at this point in his career, when he was well into his 80s, Carlone was making extensive use of assistants to complete his frescoes. Not only does this painting illustrate his compositional ideas, elegant style, and sophisticated use of color, but it also displays marked differences from another preparatory sketch of the same subject formerly in the Joseph and Maria Matzker collection.¹ Here, he has enlarged the subject and included imaginary oval framework, so as to provide his client with the most accurate impression of the final ceiling view. 

1. 62 by 70 cm, oil on canvas, formerly Joseph and Maria Matzker, sold Sotheby's London 7 December 1988, lot 8.