Pier Dandini (1646–1712), Circle of - David e Abigail

Circle of PIER DANDINI
(Firenze, 1646 – 1712)
David and Abigail
Oil on canvas, cm. 62.4 x 82.4
Size with frame, cm. 73 x 93 x 5 approx.

NOTE: Publication catalog of the Intermidiart collection works. Certificate of Guarantee and Lawful Provenance. Work with gilded frame (defects):

We present in the catalog an interesting oil painting on canvas of good pictorial quality depicting the biblical episode of the meeting between David and Abigail, drawn from the First Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 25).
The scene portrays the moment when Abigail, a wise and virtuous woman, kneels before the future king David — depicted in classic antique armor and accompanied by a dog and his soldiers — to offer him gifts and provisions, calming his wrath and thus saving her family from the vengeance provoked by the folly of her husband Nabal.
The composition, articulated in several groups of figures and developed in a balanced medium format, shows a dynamic and well-orchestrated scenic construction. On the left the figure of David stands out, depicted in armor beside the faithful dog, while the narrative focal point of the work is the group placed at the lower right, where Abigail, kneeling at the center of the scene, mediates the tension of the tale with an eloquent and theatrical gesture.
The painting, traditionally attributed in the provenance collection to the Flemish Baroque painter Abraham Willemsens (Antwerp, 1614–1672), appears, however, more correctly referable, with due caution, to the school of Pier Dandini (Florence, 1646–1712), pupil and collaborator of the better known Vincenzo Dandini. This attribution proposal is supported by the facial features of the figures, characterized by small faces and strongly delineated, often outlined by sharp and pointed profiles.
The composition, animated by an intense sense of movement, by vibrant luminosity and the use of a palette of pure and bright colors, seems to place itself in a late phase of the master’s activity or that of his circle, when the influences of Florentine painting, notably Luca Giordano, are evident.
Indeed, the work reveals some of the distinctive traits of Pier Dandini’s language: the refined figurative lexicon of Cortona-derived origin, recognizable in the repertoire of antique quotations, the monumental poses and the marked chromatic and light intensity. Similar stylistic and compositional solutions are found in several works from the artist’s mature period, in particular in the roundness of the faces, in the loose and fluid brushwork, and in the convulsive, richly motion-filled scenographic layout, elements that find meaningful precedents in Livio Mehus’s painting, whom Dandini regarded with interest.
Among the main protagonists of the evolution of late Tuscan Baroque, Pier Dandini was the author of numerous paintings with historical, religious, and mythological subjects, as well as of a substantial graphic production. Ottaviano Targioni Tozzetti, his biographer and collector, indeed recalls a collection of over fifteen hundred drawings by the artist. Coming from a famous family of painters, Dandini developed his language through frequent stays in Bologna, Venice, Modena and Rome. Protected and supported by the Medici family, particularly by the prince Ferdinando and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, he received important public and religious commissions. Among his works are the frescoes and interventions for the Florentine churches of San Jacopo Soprarno and San Frediano, the lunettes for the complex of San Giovannino degli Scolopi, and the painting depicting Saint Francis kept in the Roman basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Regarding his state of conservation, the canvas presents generally discrete conditions considering the painting’s age; the painting surface shows a varnish with patina. Under Wood’s light, scattered restorations are visible. The painting may have undergone a relining in the past with the replacement of the frame. The canvas measurements are 62.4 x 82.4 cm. The painting is enhanced by a beautiful gilded frame, of striking effect (frame size 73 x 93 x 5 cm, presence of defects).
"The frame shown in the photos above has been added to the artwork by the seller or by a third party. The frame is provided to you at no additional cost so that it is ready for display as soon as it arrives. The frame is included as a courtesy and is not considered an integral part of the artwork. Therefore, any potential damage to the frame that does not affect the artwork itself will not be accepted as a valid reason to open a dispute or request order cancellation."

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

PUBLICATION:
- Unpublished;
- I MITI E IL TERRITORIO in Sicily across a thousand cultures. UNPUBLISHED QUADRERIA, catalog of the paintings in the collection of the cycle “I Miti e il territorio,” Editor Lab_04, Marsala, 2026 (Pdf).

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