Attributed to Antonio di Donnino del Mazziere

Budapest, Ernst-Museum, 23 May 1927, lot 61 (as Giovanni di Pietro Spagnolo);

Private collection, Germany (according to a label on the verso);

Licia Albanese (1909-2014), New York, before 1952;

Thence by descent within the family to a private collector, Connecticut;

From whom acquired by the present owner, 2020.

Recently reattributed to Antonio di Donnino del Mazziere, this painting was formerly considered a work of either Francesco Granacci or Francesco Ubertini, called Il Bacchiacca. The work reflects Mazziere's ability to synthesize diverse stylistic influences in a harmonious composition. The tender exchange between the Madonna, Christ Child, and Saint John the Baptist imbues the religious scene with a sense of human intimacy.

During the twentieth century, the painting was owned by the celebrated Italian-American soprano Licia Albanese. Renowned for her luminous voice and deeply expressive interpretations of Verdi and Puccini operas, she rose to international fame after a triumphant 1934 debut as Cio-Cio-San in Madame Butterfly, a part she would perform more than 300 times. A lead soprano at the Metropolitan Opera from 1940 to 1966, she was known for her portrayals of Mimi, Violetta, and Tosca.