Workshop of CARLO DOLCI (Florence, 1616 - 1686).
"Christ" and "Dolorosa".
Oil on copper.
Measurements: 23,5 x 18,5 cm (x2); 33,5 x 28 cm (masco, x2).
The representation of the advocation of the Dolorosa, added to the figure of Christ carrying the attributes of Calvary such as the crown of thorns and in this particular case the cross, was an iconographic pattern that was widely developed among collectors. This demand led to the conception of the two scenes as an even element, each character represented in a different work, with the intention of satisfying the devotional demand either in a private or public environment. In this case the two images stand out for the pathos of their gestures, a common feature in Carlo Dolci's painting.
Due to the formal and stylistic characteristics of the pieces, they can be related to the workshop of the Florentine painter Carlo Dolci, who, according to critics, was the most outstanding Baroque painter in Florence in the 17th century. In addition to the paintings destined to decorate the altars of churches, Dolci popularized compositions with half-length images of the Virgin, Mary Magdalene, saints and other sacred figures, with a polished and detailed technique, which were well received by the late Baroque clientele. Among his first works signed as an independent artist are portraits, a genre that the painter worked on throughout his career and for which he was particularly renowned. He forged his style by copying the works of the great masters of the 15th and 16th centuries, including Fra Angelico, Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo and Correggio. He was also in contact with the Medici collection, which had a great influence on his work of the Dutch painters of his time, such as Willem van der Aelst. Throughout his career and after his death he had numerous disciples, among them Agnese Dolci, his daughter, who followed the family tradition and made numerous copies of Carlos Dolci's paintings.