The Lamentation of Christ, Luca Giordano, called Fa Presto

Property from the Estate of Nelson Shanks
Luca Giordano, called Fa Presto
Naples 1634 - 1705
The Lamentation of Christ

oil on canvas, with an arched top
canvas: 70½ by 36 in.; 179.1 by 91.4 cm.
framed: 79¼ by 45 in.; 201.3 by 114.3 cm.

Condition Report:
The canvas is lined and is stable and taut on its stretcher. The image reads well beneath the varnish, although some areas of shadow and darker pigment have “sunk” and create more of a flat/two-dimensional appearance than intended. An area of prior retouching is visible in raking light at the center below the cherub heads. Under UV inspection, much of the varnish is milky but retouching is visible at the aforementioned area below the cherubs, around the edges of the canvas in response to frame abrasion, as well as around darker outlines such as around Jesus’s hand and chin, around the leftmost male figure’s chin, and scattered in dark areas of the background at the top and sides. The painting would likely improve with a fresh varnish to heighten the contrast of the darks. Offered in a decoratively carved giltwood frame with arched top.