Jacopo Ligozzi - Mémento Mori - Vanité XVIIème
05
days
09
hours
19
minutes
16
seconds
Current bid
€ 1,250
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Clément Floch
Has 20 years of experience trading curios, including 15 years with a leading French dealer.
Estimate € 20,000 - € 25,000
 | €1,250 | |
|---|---|---|
| €1,000 | |
| €500 | |
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Description from the seller
Attributed to Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1627) – Memento Mori - Vanitas, early 17th century
Exceptional and striking Vanitas, depicting a male head in a state of decomposition resting on a Book of Hours, support for meditation and prayer.
The work belongs to a famous composition associated with Jacopo Ligozzi, a major artist at the Medici court in Florence and an important figure in the emergence of Italian still life at the turn of the 17th century.
At the bottom of the composition, a cartellino bears the Latin inscription: « QUÆ PRIUS ANIMA MEA TANGERE NOLEBAT / NUNC CIBI MEI SUNT » taken from the Book of Job, VI, 7, which can be translated as:
"What my soul once did not even wish to touch is now my food."
Far from being a simple macabre representation, the work constitutes a genuine meditation on death and salvation.
The decomposed head evokes the inescapable腐rosion of the body while the Book of Hours refers to prayer and the passage from earthly life to eternal life.
This composition is documented in several versions. They largely derive from a Jacopo Ligozzi prototype belonging to the Lord Aberconway collection at Bodnant, Wales, published by Luigi Salerno and then in the catalog of the exhibition Jacopo Ligozzi, pittore universalissimo shown in Florence in 2014. The two macabre still lifes in the Aberconway collection are dated 1604 and constitute emblematic works of this vein of Ligozzi.
The composition is punctuated by details of remarkable evocative power: a fly resting on the forehead directly refers to the corruption of the flesh, while a dragonfly, painted in the upper part of the composition and placed in the line of sight, introduces a subtler counterpoint to this meditation on death and the ephemeral nature of existence.
Several ancient versions of this composition are listed. They are tied to a Jacopo Ligozzi prototype, dated 1604 and kept in the Lord Aberconway collection at Bodnant (Wales). This major composition of Ligozzi’s macabre iconography is documented in the literature devoted to the artist. The present work has been examined and expertised by Cabinet Turquin, Paris, and presented under attribution to Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1627).
Presented in a frame with undulating moldings, particularly suited to the power of this composition.
The canvas shows a network of craquelure and old wear visible, bearing witness to its history. State faithfully presented in the photographs.
Expertise: Cabinet Turquin, Paris.
Attribution: Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1627).
Memento Mori
Oil on canvas: 30.5 × 25.5 cm
Bibliography of reference
L. Salerno, La natura morta italiana, Rome, Ugo Bozzi Editore, 1984, fig. 9.2, p. 30; Jacopo Ligozzi, pittore universalissimo, exhibition catalog, Florence, 2014, notably fig. 78, p. 218.
The photographs are an integral part of the object description and complement its presentation. Please examine them carefully before any commitment.
The object will be carefully packed and shipped with a tracking number, to ensure fast and secure delivery.
Happy bidding
Seller's Story
The Sanctuary of Curiosities was born from a deep passion for sacred art, devotional objects, and ancient curiosities, witnesses to a rich spiritual and cultural history. Each item offered is the result of meticulous research, carefully sourced across Europe, respecting its authenticity, rarity, and condition.
We are committed to selecting only meaningful objects, with special attention paid to details, materials, and provenance. Our approach is guided by respect for religious heritage and the desire to pass on these fragments of the sacred to passionate collectors, enlightened amateurs, or places of reflection.
Each item is carefully examined, documented, and packaged with the utmost care to ensure a calm, professional, and respectful shopping experience.
Translated by Google TranslateAttributed to Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1627) – Memento Mori - Vanitas, early 17th century
Exceptional and striking Vanitas, depicting a male head in a state of decomposition resting on a Book of Hours, support for meditation and prayer.
The work belongs to a famous composition associated with Jacopo Ligozzi, a major artist at the Medici court in Florence and an important figure in the emergence of Italian still life at the turn of the 17th century.
At the bottom of the composition, a cartellino bears the Latin inscription: « QUÆ PRIUS ANIMA MEA TANGERE NOLEBAT / NUNC CIBI MEI SUNT » taken from the Book of Job, VI, 7, which can be translated as:
"What my soul once did not even wish to touch is now my food."
Far from being a simple macabre representation, the work constitutes a genuine meditation on death and salvation.
The decomposed head evokes the inescapable腐rosion of the body while the Book of Hours refers to prayer and the passage from earthly life to eternal life.
This composition is documented in several versions. They largely derive from a Jacopo Ligozzi prototype belonging to the Lord Aberconway collection at Bodnant, Wales, published by Luigi Salerno and then in the catalog of the exhibition Jacopo Ligozzi, pittore universalissimo shown in Florence in 2014. The two macabre still lifes in the Aberconway collection are dated 1604 and constitute emblematic works of this vein of Ligozzi.
The composition is punctuated by details of remarkable evocative power: a fly resting on the forehead directly refers to the corruption of the flesh, while a dragonfly, painted in the upper part of the composition and placed in the line of sight, introduces a subtler counterpoint to this meditation on death and the ephemeral nature of existence.
Several ancient versions of this composition are listed. They are tied to a Jacopo Ligozzi prototype, dated 1604 and kept in the Lord Aberconway collection at Bodnant (Wales). This major composition of Ligozzi’s macabre iconography is documented in the literature devoted to the artist. The present work has been examined and expertised by Cabinet Turquin, Paris, and presented under attribution to Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1627).
Presented in a frame with undulating moldings, particularly suited to the power of this composition.
The canvas shows a network of craquelure and old wear visible, bearing witness to its history. State faithfully presented in the photographs.
Expertise: Cabinet Turquin, Paris.
Attribution: Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1627).
Memento Mori
Oil on canvas: 30.5 × 25.5 cm
Bibliography of reference
L. Salerno, La natura morta italiana, Rome, Ugo Bozzi Editore, 1984, fig. 9.2, p. 30; Jacopo Ligozzi, pittore universalissimo, exhibition catalog, Florence, 2014, notably fig. 78, p. 218.
The photographs are an integral part of the object description and complement its presentation. Please examine them carefully before any commitment.
The object will be carefully packed and shipped with a tracking number, to ensure fast and secure delivery.
Happy bidding
Seller's Story
The Sanctuary of Curiosities was born from a deep passion for sacred art, devotional objects, and ancient curiosities, witnesses to a rich spiritual and cultural history. Each item offered is the result of meticulous research, carefully sourced across Europe, respecting its authenticity, rarity, and condition.
We are committed to selecting only meaningful objects, with special attention paid to details, materials, and provenance. Our approach is guided by respect for religious heritage and the desire to pass on these fragments of the sacred to passionate collectors, enlightened amateurs, or places of reflection.
Each item is carefully examined, documented, and packaged with the utmost care to ensure a calm, professional, and respectful shopping experience.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Artist
Jacopo Ligozzi
Sold with frame
Yes
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Attribution
Attributed to
Title of artwork
Mémento Mori - Vanité XVIIème
Technique
Oil painting
Signature
Not signed
Country of origin
Italy
Year
1620
Condition
Good condition
Height
25 cm
Width
20 cm
Weight
1 g
Depiction/theme
Religion
Period
17th century
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
