EMILIAN SCHOOL, THIRD QUARTER 16TH CENTURY | The Madonna and Child

Sir George Allen, K.C.I.E., London;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 1 July 1927, lot 142 (as Parmigianino) to Colnaghi;
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Christie's, April 9, 1990, lot 72 (as circle of Pietro Faccini);
There purchased by a private collector;
By whom anonymously sold, New York, Sotheby’s, 27-28 January 2008, lot 116;
There acquired by the present collector.

The canvas appears to be thinly lined. The painting reads well and presents a strong image beneath an old and slightly discolored varnish. There are some areas here and there that have lost some definition, primarily in the background and the shadows, though there are details such as the face of the Madonna that are well-preserved. Inspection under UV reveals areas of retouching in the background at upper left, as well as areas near the extreme edges. There are other finely applied strokes of retouching scattered throughout, for example in the fabrics, where some of the retouches have discolored and are visible to the naked eye (such as in the shadows of the blues at lower right). There is an area of retouching near the fingers of the Madonna's right hand and a possible old line of repair in the shadows between the Child's bent knee and thigh. There are a few thin strokes of retouching to the child's face, and in the shadows near the chin, but the Madonna's face is largely untouched, with a only a spot in her forehead and one in her hair. Offered in a decoratively carved giltwood 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.
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.

Of high quality and distinctive handling, this work has so far eluded a secure attribution.  The composition betrays an awareness of Emilian painting of the first half of the 16th Century, with traces of both Bolognese and Parmese elements, though it has also been suggested that it may also display Tuscan influences.   The design is in fact recorded in a print by Mariano Bovi, which appears in the same orientation as the present canvas, although the background of the print lacks the drapery and window found in the painting.  The print is after a painting formerly in the collection of Sir William Hamilton by 1784, when it was attributed to Parmigianino.¹ 

This same attribution to Parmigianino was applied to the present painting when it was in the collection of Sir George Allen, although when it was sold at auction in 1990, it was given to an artist in the circle of Faccini.  The distinctive handling lends itself to attributions to these two very different, idiosyncratic artists.   It may be that the painting is from a less known phase of a particular artist's work, and in fact an attribution to the early phase of Federico Barocci's career has also been suggested.

1. See M. Mussini and G.M. De Rubeis, Parmigianino tradotto, Milan 2003, cat. no. 442.