Carlo Antonio Tavella Jonah and the Whale

Carlo Antonio Tavella
Milan 1668–1738 Genoa
Jonah and the Whale

oil on canvas
unframed: 59.1 x 83.2 cm.; 23¼ x 32¾ in.
framed: 73.9 x 98 cm.; 29⅛ x 38⅝ in.

Condition Report:
The canvas is lined, the paint surface is relatively clean, and the varnish is slightly discoloured. There are areas of well preserved impasto found throughout the composition, notably in the figures and ships. There is an area of raised craquelure in the lower half of the canvas in the sea. An area of discoloured retouching is visible in the clouds in the upper left quarter of the picture. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms the above and further reveals scattered areas of retouching in the sky and along the right margin. There are also fine lines of retouching in the sky in the centre and in the sail of the ship in the centre of the composition. The picture is in overall good condition.

Catalogue Note:
A comparable treatment by Carlo Antonio Tavella of this biblical tale is at the National Maritime Museum, London.1

1 Inv. no. BHC0881; oil on canvas; 58.4 x 83.8 cm.; https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/jonah-and-the-whale-175740

Provenance:
Private collection, Northern Italy.