MATTIA PRETI | An interior with a silversmith and the tools of his trade

Doris Westcott, New York;
From whom acquired by a private collector, 1974;
Thence by descent in the family. 

J. Spike, Mattia Preti: Catalogo Ragionato dei Dipinti, Taverna 1999, pp. 119, cat. no. 10, reproduced in black and white p. 119 and in color p. 34, plate II (as Mattia Preti);
M. Marini, in Gregorio Preti : da Taverna a Roma, 1603-1672: un pittore riscoperto e l'ambiente artistico nella Presila tra '500 e '700, Calabria 2003, p. 88, cat. no. 8, reproduced (as Gregorio Preti);
L. Giorgio and E. Spina, Gregorio Preti, calabrese, 1603-1672 : un problema aperto, exhibition catalogue, Milan 2004, p. 109, cat. no. 7, reproduced (as attributed to Gregorio Preti).

The canvas is lined and is backed with a sheet of plastic for stabilization. The image reads strongly beneath a clear varnish, and there are no visible areas of recent loss. As a result of the relining process, the canvas has been pressed in areas. Inspection under UV reveals scattered retouching throughout the background and parts of the figure's costume, although the figure's face, hand, and his tools remain largely untouched and well-preserved. Inspection also reveals a few areas of old repair, one along the lower edge right of center, one running vertically through the tools, an d one above and below the fire, though these have been well attended to. Some of the retouches are faintly visible to the naked eye, though they are not distracting. Offered unframed.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This fascinating and dramatically lit portrayal of a silversmith, dressed in simple yet richly colored clothing and standing with the tools of his trade in front of a forge, is a rare and early work by Mattia Preti, dated by Dr. John Spike to the 1630s.¹  During this period, the young Preti lived in Rome, shared a studio with his elder brother, Gregorio, and actively studied the realism and chiaroscuro effects in the paintings of Caravaggio and his followers.  In his monograph on the artist, Spike draws stylistic comparisons to another youthful work by Preti, Herodias and Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, which is datable to circa 1635 and hangs today in the Ringling Museum in Sarasota.²   1.  See Spike, under Literature, p. 119.  

2.  Oil on canvas, 149.2 by 199 cm., inv. no. SN990.  See ibid., p. 276, cat. no. 212, reproduced p. 277.