Marcantonio Franceschini (1648 - 1729) - Gesù Bambino che guarda la Croce

\Artist: Marcantonio Franceschini (1648 - 1729)
Technique: olio su tela cm. 50 x 65\Signature: Expertise dello storico Emilio Negro\Dimensions: 75_12_90_cm
Marcantonio Franceschini (Bologna, 1648–1729) “Gesù Bambino che guarda la Croce” Oil on canvas, 50 x 65 cm - Expert’s report by historian E. Negro. Frame dimensions: approx. 65 x 81 x 5 cm. BROWSE CATALOGUE (copy link) : https: //www. sfogliami. it/fl/241189/3tv3uqgjenr7xrk8cdpd6ttj35dy417#page/30 Please note: Publication of the catalogue of works from the Intermidiart collection. Expert’s report by Emilio Negro. With certificate of warranty and lawful origin. Artwork with gilded frame (with flaws) : This interesting painting has been traced back to the catalogue of Marcantonio Franceschini (Bologna, 1648–1729) , by the historian Emilio Negro with a report written to the owners: “. . . This interesting painting is well preserved and depicts an unusual and pleasant iconographic theme occasionally used in the Christian tradition but represented following a distinctive iconography that places the naked Divine Child in the foreground and at the centre of the composition. The sacred scene is set in a sort of child’s alcove with white sheets and pillow sheltered by a large pink silk curtain: Jesus is portrayed in a playful attitude towards a small cross, while his delicate skin and the cold but well-balanced colours used to depict the white cushions and sheets, as well as the silky texture of the curtain in the background, are particularly remarkable. No less remarkable is the nudity of the baby Jesus, who simultaneously reveals to the viewers his dual nature as the son of God: the divine nature expressed by the gentle glow emanating from his body, and the earthly nature testified to by his innocently naked figure. The tenderly natural expression, achieved with confident, light brushstrokes, reveals a depiction of gentle emotional impact by an artist from the Po Valley who was active in the mid-seventeenth century. More precisely, it shows the working method of a capable painter of the Bolognese school with quietly classical accents - yet with an overall visionary structure - characteristic of the masters who trained in the great figurative tradition of the School of Guido Reni. With regard to the stylistic features of this interesting painting, it is worth noting that it is a unique work by a talented artist with an erudite figurative culture, who shows great knowledge of early 17th-century Emilian art, with particular attention to the classicist world of Reni, Francesco Albani, Domenichino and, above all, their main successor, Carlo Cignani. The approach to the latter’s pictorial culture, reinterpreted here with the unique originality of an icy pictorial mood, allows us to grasp the peculiarities of the style of Marcantonio Franceschini (Bologna, 1648–1729) . He was a great Bolognese artist, skilful draughtsman and painter who began his career alongside Cignani, whose favourite pupil he was, and later established a popular school which produced excellent artists and his collaborators for the great frescoes he painted: fascinating decorative series such as those painted in Bologna in the Corpus Domini church (partly destroyed during the Second World War) ; in the Ranuzzi, Monti and Marescalchi palaces; those made in Parma in the Palazzo Ducale del Giardino and in Modena in the Palazzo del Duca d’Este; not to mention the numerous canvases painted in other cities (such as Genoa) and, like this one, destined for the nobility throughout Europe. Several compositions by Marcantonio Franceschini are known to be iconographically and stylistically similar, both in composition and scenic flow, to this baby Jesus looking at the cross: “Omnia vincit amor”, “Bacco Bambino”, “Cupido a riposo”, “Gesù bambino dormiente” (all in Bologna, in the Davia Bargellini Museum and in the Marilena Camerini collection) and others. In this painting, therefore, a similar careful working method stands out, imbued with a slight human participation, but above all pervaded by a precise search for beauty and the recovery of the classical culture of the Po Valley: qualities typical of the best production that Marcantonio Franceschini expressed during the fruitful years of his last artistic maturity (see Emilio Negro, expert’s report) . With regard to its state of preservation, the canvas is in fair general condition considering the period of the painting; the surface is dirty and shows a patina. In Wood’s light, some scattered signs of restoration, peeling and oxidation of the surface can be seen. There are no serious conservation issues and the original canvas is supported by an old relining. The stretcher may have been replaced when the painting was relined. Canvas dimensions: 50 x 65 cm. The painting is sold with a gilded frame (dimensions: approx. 65 x 81 x 5 cm, with flaws) . Origin: private collection. Publication: \tunpublished; \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 €130. 00) and tracked shipping (€120. 00 Italy) . For export, the work is subject to a request for Certificate of Free Circulation (European Community) or Export Certificate (Extra-EU Transport) 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.