Echoes of the Past: Property from an Important Private Collection

Dr. Mary Newcome Schleier has previously confirmed the attribution, suggesting that stylistically this drawing appears to be a late work.

Provenance:

Property of Giancarlo Baroni, Switzerland

His posthumous sale, Sotheby's, New York, January 29, 2013, Lot 92

Lot Essay:

In the second half of the 17th century, Domenico Piola can be counted among the most important and influential artists active in Genoa. He was the leading member of a local artistic dynasty, and one of the most sought-after decorative fresco painters in the city, who worked on the large-scale fresco decoration of numerous churches, palaces and villas. The peak of the artist's activity as a frescante was the 1670s and 1680s, which culminated in such works as the extensive decoration of the church of San Luca and the allegorical ceiling frescoes of Autumn and Winter in the Palazzo Rosso. Relatively few paintings from this part of the artist's career survive, however, due to the French bombardment of Genoa that led to the destruction of much of his work in various churches and palaces in the city.

Piola’s facility as a draftsman can be seen in the present drawing. In it, the Christ Child is held protectively by a veiled and youthful Madonna surrounded by angels and putti. The composition is drawn entirely in brown ink, and alternates between thin sharp detail with soft shading that contrasts with the thicker, flowing lines delineating the figures. This line and shading heightens the dynamism and movement, and the addition of watercolor, which is extremely rare in the artist's preparatory studies, adds charm and vibrancy to the scene.