Annibale Carracci (1560-1609), Seguidor de - Santa Margherita d'Antiochia

Italian School of the 17th century
Follower of Annibale Carracci (Bologna, 1560 – Rome, 1609)
Title: Saint Margaret of Antioch (after the original in the church of Santa Caterina dei Funari, Rome)
Technique: Oil on copper
Copper dimensions: 22 x 16.5 cm (cabinet format)
Frame: Included, Antique carved and richly gilded wooden frame with high-relief moldings
This exquisite cabinet painting is a remarkable devotional reduction of the monumental altarpiece that Annibale Carracci painted in 1599 for the Bombasi chapel in the Roman church of Santa Caterina dei Funari. Despite the reduced scale of the metal support, the composition retains its noble, classical character. The martyr appears crowned, resting the left arm on a rocky pedestal where the liturgical inscription SURSUM CORDA (Lift up your hearts) stands out clearly. In that same hand she holds the sacred book and the crown of martyrdom, while theatrically pointing toward heaven with the right index finger. At her feet, in the lower left corner, the chained figure of the demon in the form of a dragon can be seen. The scene is set against a forest landscape backdrop and a dusky fortress, resolved through lighting effects characteristic of Bolognese classicism.
Condition Report (Technical Analysis)
Obverse: Good general reading condition. The pictorial layer shows firm adhesion to the copper, with a fine natural craquelure arising from aging. Perimeter wear on the edges is minimal due to historical mounting with the frame and light, old conservation retouches in the peripheral areas of the background.
Reverse: The copper plate shows a noble, dark, heterogeneous oxidation patina, an unmistakable sign that certifies the antiquity of the metal support between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It is attached to the peripheral frame by ancient metal rivets.
Frame: The carved and gilded wooden structure exhibits natural movement cracks at the corner joints and slight losses of stucco or gilding that do not diminish the piece, but attest to its authenticity and period character.
Reference Bibliography
Posner, D. (1971). Annibale Carracci: A Study in the Reform of Italian Painting around 1590. Phaidon. (Fundamental study in which the iconographic importance and the aesthetic impact of Saint Margaret in the Roman pictorial scene of the late 17th century are analyzed).
Bellori, G. P. (1672). Le vite de' pittori, scultori et architetti moderni. Rome. (Classic source that already documented the enormous devotional fervor provoked by this Carracci design, which led to commissions of replicas on high-quality portable supports for private collections).
From a private collection
Note:
“To guarantee the safety and perfect condition of the work, depending on its volume and nature, transport and delivery may be carried out by the seller themselves”