Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (1677–1759), attribuito a - San Poalo

GIUSEPPE ANTONIO PETRINI [Attributed to]
(Crown-Switzerland, 1677 – 1759)
San Poalo
Oil on canvas, cm. 63 x 50
Frame dimensions, cm. 75 x 63 x 5 approx.

NOTE: Publication of the catalog of works from the Intermidiart collection. Certificate of Lawful Origin. Work with golden frame (defects) :

Splendid ancient painting depicting an iconographic subject that was particularly widespread starting from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: Saint Paul. In our iconography, the venerable figure is represented absorbed in prayer with his gaze towards the spectator and his hands joined. The saint is represented here as a mature man, with a short light and golden beard, and with a slate gray tunic.
The canvas, which merges with the area behind it, neutral with light burnished tones, from which the figure emerges, created with generous and mellow brushstrokes, full of impetus and full of a rigorous light that illuminates the complexions of the face and hands. Although affected by slight restorations and oxidation, the canvas still shows its expressive quality, with a naturalistic character that suggests the attribution to an artist who stayed in northern Italy during the first half of the eighteenth century.
This refined work bears a collector's and antiques market attribution to the hand of Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (Corona-Switzerland, 1677 – 1759) , whose editorial and illustrative aspects, as well as the typology of the subject repeatedly addressed in a similar way, evoke comparisons with the works of the aforementioned Swiss master, confirming the plausible attribution to Petrini himself or to his close circle. Not only the iconography belongs to the style of this artist, but also the composition, the details of style and chromatic combination, the taste for chiaroscuro and the pictorial structure, in which the typical taste of the artist is perceived.
The painter's work is populated by philosophers, astronomers and geographers, but also by characters from biblical and ancient history, as in our case, who form an ideal gallery of learned men who observe the terrestrial and celestial globes, as well as investigating the human thought. Such paintings echo the 17th-century tradition of depicting learned men, launched as a pictorial genre in its own right by Jusepe de Ribera.
As is evident in this canvas, Giuseppe Antonio Petrini is part of the lineage of Ticino artists who embraced Caravaggio's naturalism. Our painter's immediate predecessor in this sense was Paolo Pagani, and his deepest roots are found in the work of Giovanni Serodine and Pier Francesco Mola, although Petrini's choice of hues and light reveals his predilection for the age of Tiepolo.
Born in the Canton of Ticino, Petrini learned his first artistic rudiments in Genoa at the workshop of Bartolomeo Guidobono (Ratti 1769, p. 144) , continuing his training in Turin, where the young man was able to grasp the charm of the dark inventions of Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, Francesco Solimena and Padre Pozzo visible in the Savoy capital, drawing special inspiration for his works depicting saints, prophets and philosophers of antiquity. Another relevant aspect for the artist's training are the Caravaggesque examples of the aforementioned Giovanni Serodine and the innovative compositions of Filippo Abbiati and Paolo Pagani, which allow him, especially the latter, to express a very personal stylistic code, preferring rarefied image schemes but of notable expressive vigor and visionary illumination. The work in question bears very good witness to the artistic temper described here, which some critics have tried to interpret by calling into question Luca Giordano and, more pertinently, Pierfrancesco Mola. However, Giuseppe Petrini's entire corpus emanates an indisputable creative autonomy and a rare quality.
Regarding its state of conservation, the canvas is in fair general condition considering the age of the painting. The pictorial surface has a patina, and does not show difficulty in reading. The analysis of the craquelure would indicate a contemporary dating. There are some scattered restorations and some slight peeling of the surface, but nothing really significant. There are no conservation problems and the original canvas is supported by a recent relining which does not appear to require restoration. Fine craquelure consistent with the age of the painting. It appears that the frame was replaced while the painting was being relined. The measurements of the canvas are cm. 63 x 50. The painting is embellished with a beautiful golden frame from a recent era, with slight defects (the dimensions of the frame are approximately 75 x 63 x 5 cm) . "The frame shown in the photos above was added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided to you at no additional charge so that it is ready to display as soon as it arrives. The frame is included as a as a courtesy and is not considered an integral part of the artwork. Therefore, any potential damage to the frame that does not affect the artwork itself will not be accepted as a valid reason to open a complaint or request cancellation of the order . "

ORIGIN: Coll. Private Sicilian

PUBLICATION:
Unpublished;
THE MYTHS AND THE TERRITORY in Sicily with a thousand cultures. UNPUBLISHED PAINTINGS general catalog of paintings from the collection of the “Myths and the territory” cycle, Publisher Lab_04, Marsala, 2024.

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