Italian school; 17th century. "Assumption of the Virgin". Oil on canvas.

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Old Masters

By Setdart Auction House

Jun 30, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-06-30 08:30:00 2021-06-30 08:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Old Masters https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7134
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• Lot Description
  Italian school; 17th century. "Assumption of the Virgin". Oil on canvas. Preserves its original canvas and restorations. Measures: 103 x 75.5 cm. The expression Assumption is significant: it is opposed to Ascension, like the passive to the active. That is, Mary does not ascend to heaven by her own means, like Christ, but is raised to Paradise by the angels. Byzantine art represents the Assumption of the Virgin's soul, collected by Christ on his deathbed. On the other hand, Western art depicts her bodily Assumption outside the tomb where the apostles had buried her. Therefore, a distinction must be made in iconography between the Assumption of the Virgin's soul in the form of a child and the Assumption of her glorious body, the latter being the one represented here. The European model presents Mary in a prayerful attitude, with joined hands, surrounded by golden light, carried by angels and leaving the open tomb at her feet, which may appear empty or full of lilies and roses. Because of an iconographic confusion, the Assumption will lose its original character to become Ascension, as it happens in this work. Instead of being elevated by angels, the Virgin flies alone, with her arms outstretched; the angels surrounding her are limited to form a procession. This transformation was consummated in 16th century Italian art, and progressively spread throughout the rest of Europe. However, this new formula did not eliminate the old one, of which we find examples in the 17th century. This painting stands out for the artist's interest in the plastic based on his workmanship and chromatism. Within the Italian school, it is possible that this piece is inscribed, by its aesthetics, close to the Neapolitan artists. Because the distinctive sign of the Neapolitan school has always been its strong naturalistic character, its warm color, with reddish and brown dominants and the cultivation, along with the altar painting, of a type of realistic painting its best exponent. In Naples the influence of José Ribera was equal or superior to that of Caravaggio. His naturalism, more sensual and material, more vigorous and vehement, less intellectual than that of the latter, becomes permeable over time to Venetian and Flemish influences, enriching color and lightening of technique, especially from 1635. His most faithful disciples are the Fracanzano family, Cesare (1600-51) and Francesco (1612-56), Bartolomeo Bassante (1614-56), Paolo Domenico Finoglia (1590-1645) and some others who later cultivated special genres such as Aniello Falcone (1607-56), Salvatore Rosa (1615-73) or Luca Giordano. However, from the Baroque period onwards, the colors were softened and nuanced without opting for tenebrism, but preserving a great theatricality in the representations.
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