18th Century, Italian painting with Saint Nicholas and the miracle of the brick

Giuseppe Gambarini (Bologna, 17 March 1680 - Casalecchio di Reno, 11 September 1725) Loth and the daughters Oil on canvas; Measurements: cm H 73 x W 93; frame H 88 x W 108 x D 5,5 The painting, of beautiful pictorial quality, depicts the biblical scene of Lot and his daughters, with Sodom set on fire in the background, and is stylistically attributable to the italian painter Giuseppe Gambarini (Italy, Bologna, 17 March 1680 - Casalecchio di Reno, 11 September 1725). The canvas shows in the center Lot sitting and already drunk, depicted according to traditional iconography, old, gray and with long gray boat. With his left hand he grabs the wine flask that one of his daughters offers him. She is depicted kneeling and resting on large boulders of stone, described as an architectural base, dressed in a voluminous deep blue mantle, her hair covered with a humble headdress made of a knotted cloth; look at the viewer, as if to want to involve him directly in the scene. The other daughter is described on the left, from the back to the observer, with a bare back and dark hair gathered by a red ribbon. She too is intent on serving her father a cup in which to pour the wine. Around them a duck placed on a cloth, some bread and another wine flask enrich the composition describing a banquet in progress. The scene is set outdoors, where only a large tent supported by branches arranged in a hut serves as a shelter to the figures. In the background a forest landscape blends chromatically with the blue sky. To the right in the distance, is described the city of Sodom, already destroyed and on fire. Lot’s wife...

Pier Francesco Cittadini (Milan, 1616-Bologna, 1681) "Jacob and his family go to Egypt" Oil on canvas, cm 109 x 190 (canvas only) The valuable painting, made in oil on canvas, depicts Jacob and his family go to Egypt and we believe it can be, given the high quality painting, autograph work of Italian Pier Francesco Cittadini (Italy Milan, 1616 - Bologna, 1681) made after 1647. The work, in excellent condition is accompanied by a coeval frame in wood finely carved and golden. The scene depicted, which was confused with the Flight to Egypt in the past years, is instead identified with the biblical episode of Jacob’s journey. In the foreground, reading the painting from left to right, we see a caravan composed of animals, including donkeys, dromedaries, goats, dogs and horses and people, women, men and slaves, who carry on their journey along the banks of a river, following a path that to the right, would seem to lead to the through of a bridge. In addition to the watercourse is described an environment characterized by large rocks and impervious come far to cover the entire verticality of the canvas. On the left, in the distance, we see the tail of the caravan that runs along the steep path. Large trees enliven and harmonize the environment, as well as white and grey clouds characterize the predominantly clear sky and illuminated on the right by sunlight. The story is told in the Bible, Book of Genesis, 30, 25, passage in which is described the flight of Jacob from Haran after the contrasts with Laban, father of his wife Rachel. Jacob is the third great patriarch of the Bible. From his descendants originate the twelve generations of the people of Israel. He is the son of Isaac and Rebekah, who led him to flee from the wrath of Esau to Haran to seek refuge from his brother, Laban. At his uncle’s house Jacob met his daughter Rachel. As soon as he saw his cousin, Jacob was taken. Jacob will stay seven years in the service of Laban to marry his beloved Rachel. But Laban, with a deception, will give him in marriage first Lia, the least beautiful eldest daughter, and only after another seven years the splendid Rachel. From his first wife he will have several children, while Rachel will give birth to the beloved son, Joseph, who will become viceroy of Egypt. After years of service, Jacob asked to be paid with every dark-coloured garment among the sheep and every spotted and dotted garment among the goats. Laban accepted and sent away from his sons all the leaders of that kind. So Jacob took fresh branches of poplar, almond and plane tree, and flayed them, and put them in the troughs. The optical suggestion induced the goats and the sheep to conceive and give birth to dark, striped and dotted garments. He also ensured that all the strongest and healthiest leaders of the flock of Laban would drink near the barked branches, thus assuring a genetic superiority to his part of the flock. His flocks grew numerous and strong and he became richer than his relative, arousing envy. It was clear that Laban would not respect him much longer. At the suggestion of the Lord, Jacob decided to return to Canaan. Trying to avoid any possible dispute, he left with his family while Laban was absent for shearing sheep. But when, three days later, his uncle returned home, he became angry, feeling offended because Jacob had gone secretly and had not allowed him to greet his daughters and grandchildren. In addition, his teraphim, statuettes, or idols, which depicted the family deities, had disappeared. After 7 days of pursuit, Laban and his men reached Jacob’s group on Mount Gilead, in the mountainous region west of the Euphrates River, where his uncle and grandson had a stormy conversation. The younger man was outraged at being accused of stealing idols and told Labano to rummage through his family’s tents at will. Neither of them could know or even imagine that it was Rachel who took the idols and hid them in the saddle of the camel. During the search, she sat down firmly on the saddle, apologizing for not being able to get up, «because I usually have what happens to women» (Gen 31:35). So the loot wasn’t discovered. The author of this work was inspired by the composition of an engraving by Stefano Della Bella (1610-1664) of circa 1647. The engraving by Stefano della Bella bears the title "Iacob sur ses vieux jours quitte sans fascherie pour voir son filz Ioseph, sa terre et sa patrie" and is signed on the bottom left "Stef. of the Beautiful In. et fe." while on the right it is declared "Cum privil. Regis", that is with license of the king. Stefano Della Bella (Italy - Florence, May 18, 1610-Florence, July 12, 1664) was born in a family of painters, sculptors and goldsmiths and was left early orphan of his father sculptor, he dedicated himself first to the art of goldsmith at the school of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione and Gasparo Mola, then turning his attention to drawing and engraving. He soon began drawing figures and copying the etchings of Jacques Callot, which inspired his early works. Under the protection of the Medici, in particular of Don Lorenzo, cadet son of Grand Duke Ferdinand I, Della Bella has the opportunity to make study trips to Rome, where he stayed from 1633-1636; In Rome he met French engravers and publishers of prints such as Israël Henriet and François Langlois, who influenced his decision to move to Paris in 1639, four years after the death of Callot. In Paris he soon reached, thanks to the engravings commissioned by Cardinal Richelieu, the success also worldly; he frequented courtiers, theatre artists and writers, while refusing too oppressive honors. In 1646-1647 he continued his travels in the Netherlands to Amsterdam, Antwerp and Dordrecht. He returned to Florence in 1650 and resumed working under the protection of the Medici court, working for his patrons. In 1656 he became a member of the Academy of Apatists. The painting object of this study is reasonably attributable to Pier Francesco Cittadini, or Pierfrancesco Cittadini, called the Milanese or the Franceschino (Italy - Milan, 1616-Bologna, 1681) as some exemplary stylistic comparisons proposed to follow can prove. Pier Francesco Cittadini was an Italian baroque painter, mainly active in Bologna. His artistic training first took place with the painter Daniele Crespi...

Alberto Carlieri (Italy-Roma 1672-1720), "Christ and the adulteress", Oil on canvas, with frame cm H 115 x L 151 x 6.5, only canvas H 98.5 x L 135 cm...

Giovanni Michele Graneri (Italy, Turin 1708-1762) Bambocciata (Farmers dancing in front of the inn) The painting, made in oil on canvas, depicts a moment of celebration where some p...

17th century oil on canvas representation of the "Feeding of the 4,000" of Italian school.

Antique religious painting from the second half of the 17th century. Oil on canvas artwork, first canvas, depicting the Tribute Money. In fact, there was a tax for the maintenance of...

Antique Italian painting from the 17th century. Artwork oil on canvas depicting a particular religious subject, the Parable of the unfaithful farmer. Once upon a time there was a farmer who fraudulently administered his master's assets. Before being fired, he tries to recover part of the credits by making important discounts to creditors, who will be grateful to him. The master, instead of condemning this behavior which is detrimental to him, praises the cunning of the farmer. This story is meant to urge believers to do whatever is necessary before the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God and its judgment. Painting that develops vertically adorned with a wooden frame not coeval carved, lacquered and gilded. Painting that focuses on the characters in the foreground, a patina that does not allow a perfect view of the architecture and of the foreshortening on the left (see photo), painted to be cleaned...

A delightful small painting, framed in a contemporary frame in carved and gilded wood, depicting a lively genre scene. In the background, an Italian garden opens up to reveal two you...