CLAUDIO FRANCESCO BEAUMONT | The Family of Darius before Alexander

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 14 December 2000, lot 216, (as attributed to Francesco Monti), where acquired by the present collector.

Milan, Palazzo Reale, Il neoclassicismo in Italia da Tiepolo a Canova, 2 March – 28 April 2002, no. V.1 (as Beaumont).

L. Barroero (ed.), Il neoclassicismo in Italia da Tiepolo a Canova, Milan 2002, p. 431, cat. no. V.1, reproduced in colour p. 103 (as Beaumont).

The canvas has a firm relining, the paint surface is clean and the varnish is clear and even. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals sensitively-executed spot retouchings scattered throughout, with denser areas around the top of the umbrella, upper centre; in the base of the urn, centre right; in the edge of the barrel, right; on the left of and in part of the face of the child, lower centre; either side of the man’s hand, lower left, and in his back and the drapery around his waist; and in the shield, centre left. None of these detracts from the legibility of the image, however, and the painting is in overall good condition, appearing fresh and ready to hang in its current state.
"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."

Beaumont became court painter to the House of Savoy in Turin in 1731, after training with Francesco Trevisani in Rome. The affluent court was a magnet for many of the leading artists of the period, and painters as diverse as the Neapolitan Francesco Solimena and the Venetian Giambattista Pittoni were also to visit the Piedmontese capital, and inevitably influenced Beumont and his peers. The artist treated the subject on a much larger scale in the canvas formerly in Palazzo Reale, Turin, now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Chambéry, France.¹

1 313 x 611 cm.; inv. no. M1049.