“Madonna and Child with Dove”, 17th century oil on canvas.

Bernardino Luini (Milan, 1480/85-1532), in the manner of. “Madonna with Child and Dove”, oil on canvas, 0th century. Dimensions: 78×62 cm. Sheath from the late 800th-early 900th century. Gilded and carved wooden frame from the beginning of the XNUMXth century. On the back, it bears a cartouche with an old inventory number. Upon examination using a Wood's lamp, the painting appears to be in an excellent state of conservation. Bernardino Luini's creations were exemplary for Lombard artists, thanks to his controlled and simple figurative results, oriented towards a measured and affable classicism. This sentimental delicacy is the result of a happy reinterpretation of central Italian and Raphaelesque art that settled on the examples of Milanese Leonardism. Given these assumptions, it is not surprising that his devotional compositions were considered true models and were so successful that they were often replicated. This diffusion of the models and expressive typologies of the Milanese master is clearly identifiable in the canvas under examination, especially if we observe the face of the Virgin and Child. There are at least three replicas of the same subject that can certainly be attributed to the hand of the Lombard master, the most famous of which is the one preserved in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. In any case, even in this case, we are faced with a replica of great pictorial quality. The dove (or columbine) held by the Virgin between her fingers is a flower symbolically linked to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, as it is considered the flower of humility and sadness due to the head bowed downwards.

Provenance: Imola, Private Collection.

A guarantee certificate is issued in accordance with the law regarding the authenticity and lawful origin of the painting.