Epoca
Sixteenth/seventeenth century
Sizes
93 x 72 cm - with frame 109 x 86 cm
Description
Ippolito Scarsella, known as Lo Scarsellino (Ferrara, circa 1550 – 1620) workshop
Altarpiece depicting the Madonna and Child, Saint James the Greater and the donor in armour
Technique: oil on board
Provenance: Prato, Farsetti, auction of 28.10.2016, lot 261
A majestic Madonna in Glory occupies the upper register of the canvas, seated on a blanket of iridescent clouds and surrounded by angels, flanked by a cherub who scatters flowers contained in a cornucopia towards the infant Christ as a sign of abundance, naked and supported with both hands from the mother.
In the lower part of the composition stands out the figure of San Giacomo Maggiore, one of the twelve apostles, standing on the right side of the altarpiece, represented dressed in a humble tunic; one arm supports the open Gospel book, while the other holds a cross-shaped pilgrimage staff.
A particular aspect of the table is the presence in the central part, to indicate its importance, of the figure of the donor, kneeling on a cushion, with his hands clasped in prayer and his face observing the Virgin in an attitude of devotion, while on the lectern in front there is place a prayer book; depicted with the features of a young leader in armour, with a sword and a rich iridescent red cloak, elements which, combined with his authoritarian composure, enhance his ennoblement.
Unlike the medieval altarpieces, the knight is here included in the space of the painting and has dimensions proportionate to those of the other characters, effectively returning to the sacred scene, with a pose that cannot help but evoke the detail of the 'Montefeltro altarpiece' created by Piero della Francesca for Federico da Montefeltro, kneeling in front of the sacred group in the guise of a leader.
On the right the view moves away in depth, highlighting the background of an urban landscape located on a hill behind which a mountain range stands out, with the particularity of the arched aqueduct that runs along the entire landscape. Presumably among these expanses were the donor's own possessions and his hometown.
It is a quality panel, imbued with the late mannerist style still resistant in the second half of the 1550th century, characterized by a 'sweet and affable religiosity, rendered through a manner of studied simplicity and grace', which highlights the unmistakable stylistic and chromatic connotations of the production of the Ferrarese Ippolito Scarsella, known as Scarsellino (Ferrara, circa 1620 – XNUMX), one of the most important artists of Emilian art between the two centuries.
The painting, of refined execution, probably carried out by the master himself or with the collaboration of one of his students, is therefore an excellent example of his aesthetic imprint. In particular, observing the dense and vibrant chromatic mixture, the brilliant tones and the richness of lighting effects, as well as the design and scenic setting, we cannot help but see the clear homage to Venetian art, primarily to Paolo Veronese , as is typical of the painter's early maturity.
In those years the author was looking for a synthesis between the Tuscan tradition of drawing and plastic approach, and the Venetian one of rich chromatic orchestration.
Intended for private devotion, the beautiful painting proposes in a small format a composition borrowed from the model of the altarpiece but made more intimate and everyday by the landscape background and the sky full of clouds against which the divine apparition stands out. A genre evidently requested by the Ferrara market, as other versions of the same theme indicate, with variations in the number and choice of saints, created by Scarsellino.
The work is offered in good condition, complete with a pleasant gilded wooden frame.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.
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