Giulio Francia (1487-1545) [Attribuito a] - Madonna col Bambino

\Artist: Giulio Francia (1487-1545) [Attribuito a]
Technique: Oil on board\Signature: Expertise dello storico Emilio Negro\Dimensions: 60_10_60_cm
Giulio Raibolini, known as Giulio Francia (Bologna, 1487 - 1545) [Attributed to] . Madonna col Bambino Oil on round panel, diameter 30 cm – Expertise by historian E. Negro. Frame dimensions: about 46 x 46 x 6 cm. BROWSE CATALOGUE (copy link) : https: //www. sfogliami. it/fl/241189/3tv3uqgjenr7xrk8cdpd6ttj35dy417#page/12 Please note: Publication of the catalogue of works from the Intermidiart collection. Expertise Emilio Negro. On the verso is a label indicating the provenance "Proprietà / Prof. M. Matt. . . ". With certificate of warranty and lawful origin. Work with carved and gilded frame (with flaws) : This interesting painting has been attributed to the school of Francesco Francia, in particular to his second son Giulio Raibolini known as Giulio Francia (Bologna, 1487 - 1545) , by the Bolognese historian Emilio Negro with a written note to the owners: "The painting is well-preserved and represents a tender iconographic subject widely popularised by the Christian tradition following an archaic and well-proven procedure. Mary and the Baby Messiah are therefore depicted in the centre of the tondo and against the background of a shadowy landscape, as the interpreters of a subtle representation designed to stimulate the most sincere feelings of devotion in the viewer. In this case, the Saviour as a child is portrayed standing on a sort of window sill in front of the Virgin, tenderly supported by his mother's caring hands. Mary is appropriately dressed in the usual red dress with a neckline and sleeves from which the white edges of the blouse emerge; a large green cloak envelops her head covered by a delicate white veil. It is worth noting that the vision of the naked infant body of the Messiah who became a man coincides with a precise iconic element: in fact, it is a pictorial expedient popularized by Christian iconography, fundamental for revealing to the faithful the dual nature of the Son of God, the celestial nature, manifested by the two fingers of his right hand blessing and the peaceful luminosity emanating from his childlike figure, and the earthly nature, equally confirmed by his tender nudity. It is therefore a traditional depiction of the Madonna and Child, based on a pattern that was widespread between the 15th and 16th centuries and which follows the style of one of the most prestigious schools of painting active between the end of the Renaissance and the Bolognese Mannerist period. From a stylistic point of view, this interesting panel can be traced back to the culture of Bologna in the first half of the 16th century. The peculiar features of the composition make it possible to link it to the extensive comparable production of the school of Francesco Francia (Francesco Raibolini, known as Francia, Bologna, c. 1447 - 1517) , the greatest Bolognese artist of the Renaissance, who also had the merit of educating a large number of pupils and collaborators. Among them were his sons Giacomo (Bologna, c. 1486-1557) and Giulio (Bologna, 1487-1545) , who continued their father's work and in turn initiated other disciples into painting. The didactic activity of the Francias therefore accounts for the large number of 'Madonnas' (generally Madonnas with Child and with one or more saints or angels) that were produced for several decades in Bologna, from the end of the 15th century until at least the mid-16th century. In fact, the work under examination cleverly retrieves a composition model clearly derived from the Francia: these are compositions that numerous of his pupils and sons kept on painting, renewing them with singular variations until the end of the mid-16th century (for works by Francia and his workshop, see E. Negro & N. Roio, Francesco Francia e la sua scuola, Modena, 1998) . Many of these works have fortunately come down to us, and the Madonna and Child in this description clearly belongs to the activity of the Francia workshop after the death of the leader of the school. In particular, it can be attributed to the talented second son of Francia, Giulio, who probably painted it in the 1630s-40s. He often signed works for public churches together with his younger brother, but this tondo, credibly part of a dismembered altar complex, clearly shows the stylistic characteristics of the rare Giulio Francia in both the figure of the Virgin and that of the Child, which clearly reveal the peculiar traits of his more bizarre and extravagant expressiveness compared to the classical and composed style of his brother. Giulio's painting is characterised by the gentle features of the static figures, the steady gazes, the brilliant colours and, above all, by an impeccable painting technique inherited from his father. To confirm the attribution to Giulio Francia, this Madonna and Child should be compared with the signed S. Agnese altarpiece in the Berlin Pinacoteca, with the signed "banner" in Fuipiano (Bergamo) and with the Madonna and Child in the Clowes Museum in Indianapolis (Negro & Roio, cit. , cat. nos. 201, 205 and 230) , a work in which the elegant and dazed style of Francesco Francia's second son also prevails (cf. Emilio Negro, expertise) . The canvas is in rather fair overall condition, considering its age, the surface is dirty and shows a patina. There are some lesions and colour fading here and there. Some peeling and oxidation of the paint surface are also visible. The reverse side of the panel has been restored with replacement and polishing (see photo) . In natural light, you can see a craquelure consistent with the painting’s age. The tondo diameter is 30 cm. The painting is sold with a gilded frame (dimensions: approx. 46 x 46 x 6 cm, with flaws) . Origin: private collection. Publication: \t. Unpublished; \t. I miti e il territorio nella Sicilia dalle mille culture. “INEDITA QUADRERIA” general catalogue of the paintings in the collection of the series “I Miti e il territorio”, 2nd edition, Editore Lab_04, Marsala, 2022. We guarantee accurate packaging with outer wooden crate and inner bubble wrap / cardboard / polystyrene (packaging cost: approximately €100. 00) and tracked shipping (€100. 00 Italy) For export, the work is subject to a request for a Certificate of Free Circulation (European Community) or an Export Certificate (transport to non-EU countries) at the export office (Territorial Superintendency) with additional times and costs (€350/€800, all inclusive: shipping, packaging and export documents) . The original documents (including the catalogue, will be sent separately after receiving payment from Catawiki) . The shipment may be delayed by a few days/weeks for logistical and administrative reasons.