Manner of Giovanni Battista Salvi, called Il Sassoferrato, late 18th...

Manner of Giovanni Battista Salvi, called Il Sassoferrato,
late 18th / early 19th century-

The Madonna at prayer;

oil on canvas, 65.5 x 51.5 cm. (unframed).

Provenance:
Private Collection, UK.

Note:
Sassoferrato specialised in paintings of a devotional nature, usually representing the Madonna alone or with the Christ Child. He was primarily employed by his patrons to provide images for personal spiritual contemplation, and the Counter Reformation's increased emphasis on veneration of the Virgin and the Marian cult meant that his intense and moving depictions of the Madonna were much in demand. The Madonna in the midst of quiet prayer was one of his most celebrated subjects and he returned to it many times throughout his career.