Antichita Castelbarco

Pair of angels with floral garland and cartouche with family motto 'Pulchriora latent' Workshop of Carlo Maratta (Camerano, 1625 - Rome, 1713) Dated on parchment, right: 1697 oil on the table (94 x 84cm./ in frame 105 x 95 cm.) This magnificent composition, depicting two little fluttering cupids intent on holding up a garland of flowers, can be traced back, both for the stylistic characteristics and for the compositional taste, to a master active in the fervid seventeenth-century Baroque Rome. One of the two cupids is about to grab the bow of the garland with his head facing downwards, while with the other hand he shows a parchment which bears, in addition to the date of execution, the Latin expression "Pulchriora latent" ("The the most beautiful things...

Pierre Mignard, known as Le Romain (Troyes 1612 - Paris 1695), attributed Portrait of 'Louise Renée de Penancoët de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth and Aubigny (Brest 1649 - Paris 1734) as MADDALENA Oil on canvas 97 x 88 cm In an important gilded frame 132 x 122 cm. Provenance: Private collection, Naples The young and attractive noblewoman portrayed in this painting is Louis Renée de Penancoet de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth and Aubigny (Brest 1649 - Paris 1734), known to have been King Charles II's favourite mistress for over fifteen years, from whose relationship Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, was born, but above all to have gone down in history as one of Louis XIV's French informants at the English court. The duchess was a very influential figure at court, promoting French interests and often acting as an intermediary between the king, his ministers and French ambassadors. After the death of Charles II this influence quickly came to an end, forcing her to hastily leave London and renounce all her possessions to return to her homeland, between Aubigny-sur-Nère and Paris, where she died in 1734, always remaining in the sovereign's good graces. The peculiarity of the portrait, probably executed after her return to her homeland, is that the noblewoman takes the form of a charming Mary Magdalene, depicted here following her renunciation of earthly possessions, her rich robes and jewellery, in order to aspire to heavenly riches; We see her immortalised with her long hair loose on one breast, her intriguing but serene gaze directed at the observer, as she rests her crossed hands, as if in prayer, on the ampulla of perfumed ointments and the open book, both iconographic symbols. The custom of being portrayed in the guise of Magdalene was in vogue for powerful women of the great European courts as early as the 16th century, as it represented the most appropriate image to justify the union of female power and virtue. It must be said that court culture exalted only the positive characteristics of her personality, glossing over or downplaying all references to her sinful past and dissolute life. The work, whose style fits perfectly into 17th century French portraiture, suggests the pertinent attribution to the Baroque painter Pierre Mignard (Troyes, 1612 - Paris, 1695), whose works were highly praised and earned him a great reputation as a portrait painter for the demanding Parisian aristocracy at the time of Louis XIV, and who portrayed the Duchess de Kérouaille on numerous occasions. His first important artistic training took place in Simon Vouet's studio, and he then moved to Italy for over twenty years before returning to Paris, blending his own with the influence of Roman classicism. The elegant looseness of touch and sensual refinement typical of Mignard, combined with a very accurate chiaroscuro rendering, inherited from his artistic training in Rome (which he looked up to the examples of Ferdinad Voet), and the exceptional sweetness of the drawing, the floridity of the complexion and the almost enamelled surfaces, and finally, the peculiar pose of the figure portrayed (the beauty of the two intertwined hands...

Gaspare Diziani (Belluno 1689 – Venice 1767) Allegory of Sleep (or of Night) 19 x 39 cm. In a fine frame with Rococo carvings, 37 x 56 cm. Provenance: Hampel Fine Art Auction...

Bolognese school of the seventeenth century Circle Giovanni Battista Ramenghi, known as Bagnacavallo (Bologna, 1521 - 1601) Oil painting on canvas (86 x 72 cm. - With antique frame ...

Ancient painting depicting Jesus with the Commissioner's son (Alternative reading: St. Joseph with the Child, or the 'Paternity') Giovan Battista Salvi known as "the Sassoferrato" (1609 - 1685) circle / follower Oil painting on canvas 76 x 59 cm. -With frame in the shape of a small temple, not coeval 99 x 84 cm. The interesting canvas that we are pleased to offer you recalls the iconographic model of classic paternity, which traditionally sees Saint Joseph holding the sleeping baby Jesus...

Christ and the Samaritan woman at the well Attributable to Ludovico Pozzoserrato (Antwerp circa 1550 - Treviso 1605) Oil on the table 37 x 27 cm., In ...

Bon Boullogne (Paris, 1649 - Paris, 1717) workshop of Episodes from the myth of Diana oil painting on canvas Dimensions: 84 x 114 cm. with antique frame 100 x 132 cm. The beautiful painting proposed shows a series of episodes taken from the myth of the divinity Diana, the Roman divinity of hunting, forests and wild animals, masterfully captured in this valuable painting, which shows a luxuriant wood, a favorite place of the divinity, as a theater of his adventures. The composition opens, on the left, with a sort of presentation of the divinity, portrayed as an attractive young girl, surrounded by her faithful Nymphs, one of whom holds her quiver with arrows, and by one of her beloved dogs. hunting her. The 'story' continues in the central part where we can see the divinity during a wild boar hunt...

Antoine Caron (Beauvais, 1521 – Paris, 1599) workshop Massacre Ordered by the Triumvirs Oil on panel 48 x 77 cm. In frame 71 x 100 cm. The intriguing painting under consider...

Christ surrounded by angels in the desert Circle of Pietro da Cortona, born as Pietro Berrettini (Cortona 1597 - Rome 1669) Oils on canvas (66 x 50 cm. - in frame 80 x 64 cm.) The ...

Lombard painter active in the 17th century Infant Jesus Oil painting on canvas 70 x 82 cm. - In antique frame 78 x 91 cm. This painting depicts an unusual and pleasant iconographic...

Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (Milan 1609 – Milan 1662), attributed The Suicide of Queen Sofonisba Oil on canvas 76 x 60 cm. - In frame 100 x 85 cm. This painting captures the tr...

Saint John the Evangelist French school of the eighteenth century Oil painting on canvas 82 x 64 cm. - in frame 102 x 84 cm. In this pleasant painting we see the portrait of the evangelist John, holding a pen in his hand while writing the pages of the Gospel, while behind him it is possible to recognize the profile of an eagle, his typical iconographic attribute. The graceful face, which still reveals the devout attitude, which gives the painting a more intimate and delicate, not excessive religiosity, is one of the typical characteristics for works intended for domestic devotion, as in the case of this Saint John. From the representation of the Saint the freshness of his features immediately stands out, he is in fact portrayed as young and handsome: and it is precisely this iconographic peculiarity that makes the work fascinating and very pleasant, probably commissioned for a private room. The painting presents the peculiarities of eighteenth-century French portraiture, characterized by a soft drawing and a wise use of light. The rather marked chiaroscuro and well-calibrated shades produce an excellent result thanks to the play of light on the face, highlighted by the dark background of the scene. The painting has been relined and is in an excellent state of conservation with the colors still bright and a very healthy pictorial layer. The painting is sold together with a nice golden frame. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card. We take care and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to see the painting in the Riva del Garda...