Jesus with the client's son, Giovan Battista Salvi (1609 – 1685) circle/follower

Giovan Battista Salvi known as “il Sassoferrato” (1609 – 1685) circle/follower

Ancient painting 'Jesus with the client's son' (or Saint Joseph with the Child, or the 'Fatherhood')

Oil painting on canvas

The interesting canvas that we are pleased to offer you recalls the iconographic model of classic paternity, which traditionally sees Saint Joseph tenderly holding the little sleeping Jesus in his arms;

Although common popular tradition would have him as a mature man, in reality the Bible does not mention Joseph's age when Jesus came to light and therefore there has been no shortage of painters, of every era, who have portrayed him at a young age as he could have been for our painting.

However, one aspect that makes our work extremely intriguing, and which deserves a deeper interpretation, is the face of Joseph, whose somatic features unequivocally recall those we usually identify with Christ.

A possible alternative and certainly original reading, our favourite, could be that which sees Christ holding a child in his hands, joined to the figure of the person who commissioned the work of art, therefore a painting commissioned for a birth or as an auspicious gift. , from whose emotional interaction between father and son transpires a strong sense of tenderness and protection at the same time.

Moving now to the stylistic aspects, we are faced with a painting presenting the unmistakable requirements of the devotional representations which made the workshop of Giovan Battista Salvi known as Sassoferrato famous, although it illustrates a rather obsolete subject compared to its canonical iconography more linked to single or with the Child.

Sassoferrato, named after his hometown in the Marche region, trained in Rome together with Domenichino, coming into contact with the classicism of the great masters of the past, in particular Raphael, his continuous source of inspiration.

Our author, active between the 17th and 18th centuries, must necessarily have studied the works of Sassoferrato, celebrated for his easel paintings of devotional subjects characterized by a refined intimacy, a character that we find evident in the present painting. The notable elegance in the description of the figure of Joseph (or of Christ) and the serene composure of his expression convey a sensation of solemn sacredness, in a composition far from any reference to the Passion.

In fact, we consider this painting extremely suggestive as well as of excellent workmanship, characterized by a bright chromatic application and irradiated by a clear light, typical prerogatives of Salvi's palette, which highlight the smooth surface of the composition. Finally, it is worth mentioning the author's incredible ability to take from his style that beautiful play of light and shadow, emphasized by the perfection of the nuances that define the harmonious shapes, with the result that the two protagonists seem irradiated by a halo of supernatural light .

The conservation conditions of the work appear good, with some old restorations. The painting is completed by a pleasant temple frame.

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