Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (1609 – 1662), Follower of - Maria Maddalena penitente

Follower of CARLO FRANCESCO NUVOLONE
(Milano, 1609 – 1662)
Maria Maddalena penitente
Pastel on paper, cm. 35.5 x 28.5
Frame size, cm. 43 x 36 x 4 approx.

NOTE: Publication catalog of works from the Intermidiart collection (pdf). Unsigned work. Certificate of Guarantee and Legitimate Provenance. Work with a contemporary (?) carved and gilt wooden frame (flaws):

The small and refined sheet – pastel on paper, affixed to a support canvas – depicts Mary Magdalene Penitent captured in the typical ecstatic attitude of Baroque devotion, set on an emotional diagonal that guides the sorrowful face and teary eyes upwards.
The stylistic and expressive characteristics of the work converge unmistakably toward the Milanese figurative culture of the mid-17th century and early 18th century, more precisely within the circle or follower of Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (Milano, 1609 – 1662). Historically known as the "Guido Reni of Lombardy", Nuvolone bridged Milanese painting from the severe and dramatic atmospheres of early 17th-century Borromean to a softer, more fluid and sentimental painting of affections.
The drawing under examination directly borrows from the master’s prototypes (such as the Magdalene in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana or the famous version at the Fondazione Cerruti) the core stylistic traits of his sacred repertoire: the pale, mother-of-pearl complexion of the saint; the pathetic cut of the large, moist, reddened eyes turned to the sky; the full lips half-open in the sigh of aesthetic and spiritual ecstasy and the soft treatment of the blonde, curled hair that falls over the shoulders with a nearly “sfumato” stroke.
The thesis of a fully seventeenth-century execution is solidly supported by the pastel’s structural rendering, which here does not yet show the delicate or decorative scripts typical of eighteenth-century Rococo. On the contrary, the medium is used with a nearly thick painterly density, emulating the soft pastes of oil on canvas to accommodate the search for atmospheric softness characteristic of Nuvolone.
The use of pastel on paper applied to canvas in the course of the 17th century represents a refined exception, tied to high-status Milanese private commissions that required small formats for small home altars or bedrooms, promoting contemplation and emotional closeness to the sacred (the motion of affections).
The work’s coherence is fully sealed by its frame in carved and gold-leafed wood, whose decorative motifs reflect Lombard ornamental patterns of the mid-17th century.
Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (Milano, 1609 – 1662) was one of the leading figures of Lombard Baroque. Son of an artist (his father Panfilo was a renowned painter of Cremonese origin) and elder brother of Giuseppe, also a celebrated artist, Carlo Francesco studied at the Ambrosiana Academy under Cerano.
He soon freed himself from the severe and dramatic expressionism of early 17th-century Borromean to embrace a fluid, lyrical style strongly influenced by the colorist approach of Anthony van Dyck and the formal grace of Guido Reni (so as to earn the historical epithet of "Guido Reni of Lombardy"). Owner of one of Milan’s most active workshops of the century, he created grand fresco cycles (notably for the Sacri Monti of Varallo and Orta) and became the most sought-after portraitist and painter of devotional subjects by Milanese aristocracy. He died in Milan in 1662, at the peak of his creative arc.
The work presents itself in overall discrete, stable conservation, a fact of great significance considering the fragility of the technique and its dating to the late Seicento and early Settecento.
The sheet of period paper shows a natural and homogeneous patina of time, free of tears or structural alterations. The old mounting (marouflage) of the paper applied to a support canvas guarantees optimal tension, keeping the surface perfectly flat and protected from warping.
The pastel pigments retain excellent adhesion to the support. There are no color losses due to powdering nor the typical micro-scale flaking. The application maintains its original “thick” density and soft, smoky finish. There are no humidity stains, biological attacks (mildew) or foxing (rusty spots) on the Saint’s face.
The dimensions of the work are 35.5 x 28.5 cm.
The painting is enhanced by a contemporaneous (?) frame in carved and gold-leafed wood that is structurally sound. The gilding shows a noble patina and the physiological wear of time on the reliefs, which attest to its authenticity without compromising aesthetics. "The frame shown in the photos above has been added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided at no additional cost so 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 claim or request order cancellation."

Provenance: The work comes from an Italian private collection, and its recent tracing on the market confirms its passage to auction for a charitable purpose in favor of the Italian Foundation of Lenitherapy (FILE) ETS.

Publication:
- I Miti e il Territorio nella Sicilia dalle mille culture. INEDITA QUADRERIA general catalog of the collection of the cycle “I Miti e il territorio”, 2026 (Pdf).

The work will be shipped – due to fragility – with a wooden crate and polystyrene. In the case of a sale outside Italian territory, the buyer must await the processing times for export procedures.