Italian school (XVIII) - Noli me tangere

Italian School of the 18th Century

Noli me tangere

Oil on canvas
Measurements: 94 × 76 cm
Measurements with frame: 108 × 86 cm
Epoch: 18th century (1700/1730)


Description

Interesting painting from an Italian school of the 18th century depicting the Noli me tangere, the biblical episode of the meeting between the risen Christ and Mary Magdalene.

The scene is set inside a closed garden, rich in vegetation and small flowers, beyond which unfolds a landscape with architectures and mountain reliefs. Christ, depicted standing and partially wrapped in a wide light shroud, turns his gaze toward Magdalene, accompanying the dialogue with a gesture of the hand. The female figure is kneeling at his feet, face turned toward Christ and right arm raised. In the foreground appears the traditional vase of unguents, an iconographic attribute of the saint.

The construction of the figures, the elegance of the drapery and the deliberately restrained color palette, dominated by browns and greens of the background and enlivened by the red of Magdalene’s dress, link the work to the Italian figurative culture of the 18th century, still sensitive to 17th-century models.

Particularly evocative is the setting: the flowering vegetal wing sets apart the foreground from the rear landscape and gives the scene a withdrawn and contemplative character.

Frame

The work is presented within a carved and gilded wooden frame, characterized by a wide frieze with regular grooves, a continuous ribbon motif along the outer edge and a stylized vegetal decoration in the inner battens.

The frame shows a natural patina, abrasions and small losses of the gilding, as well as cracks and openings at the corners, clearly documented by the photographs. Overall it preserves a good decorative effect and is coherent with the historical presentation of the work.

Frame to be considered an accessory element.

Condition report

The painting appears in a fair overall state of conservation, considering its age, but with evident prior conservational interventions.

The pictorial surface shows widespread and marked craquelure, particularly evident in the dark areas, in the sky and around the halos and flesh tones. Also visible are surface irregularities, abrasions, small losses and areas affected by old retouchings.

Close inspection reveals a surface with varnish noticeably altered and uneven, which in some areas appears glossy and weighs down the legibility of the original tones. Localized lifts and small losses of the paint layer are also observed, especially along some margins.

The verso is particularly significant: the canvas shows numerous traces of previous interventions and impregnations, with large areas of differing tonalities. There is also a rectangular patch reinforcement applied to the back, attributable to a prior restoration. From the photographic documentation the canvas appears mounted on a wooden frame that is not recent.

Overall the work preserves good iconographic readability; a professional cleaning and conservation revision could plausibly improve color depth and readability of the painting, subject to verification of the condition of the paint layer.

Ideal for collecting and investment

- The frame currently present is included with the sale of the work as a courtesy. Any transit damage related solely to the frame cannot be the subject of refund or dispute.

Photographic note: Some images of the work were produced professionally with the aid of artificial lighting (studio spotlight) to more clearly highlight the painting characteristics, the material, the color, and the conservation state of the painting. Perception of colors and brightness may therefore vary slightly from viewing the work under natural or ambient light.

With a document of lawful provenance in accordance with the law - Expertise

Professional packing and insured shipping