Carlo Maratta (1625 – 1713), Circle of - Madonna in preghiera

Circle of CARLO MARATTA
(Camerano, 1625 – Rome, 1713)
Madonna in prayer
Oil on canvas, 70 x 50 cm
Frame dimensions approx. 91 x 71 x 6 cm.

NOTE: Publication of the catalog of works from the Intermidiart collection (pdf). Unsigned work. Certificate of Guarantee and Legitimate Provenance. Work with gilded frame (defects):

We present in the catalog an interesting oil on canvas painting of good quality, which, with refined devotional grace, illustrates a fortunate theme of Roman painting from the late Seventeenth to early Eighteenth century: the Annunciation Virgin (or Madonna in prayer).

The iconography revisits the Maratta typology of the praying Virgin or the moment of the Annunciation, a theme replicated with variants by the main pupils of the circle (such as Giuseppe Chiari, Agostino Masucci or Niccolò Berrettoni). The painterly execution shows a delicate chiaroscuro modulation in the face, resolved in three quarters and inclined downward as a sign of humble acceptance of the divine will. The transition of soft shadows and the careful study of the garments – characterized by the typical drapery that is movement-led yet geometrically orderly – directly recall the mature production of Maratta.

The painting displays the stylistic and formal characteristics typical of the Roman figurative culture of the second half of the 17th century, dominated by the master Carlo Maratta. The Marchigian master codified an ideal of devout grace and composed classicism that became the indispensable reference model for religious painting of the era, diffusely spread both by his very active workshop and by a dense circle of collaborators and followers.

Historically, the work bears a catalogued attribution to Tommaso Conca (Rome, 1734 – 1822); this reference, while shifting the dating of the canvas toward the early 18th century, testifies to the persistence of the fortunate Roman classicist tradition and the influence exerted by Marattian models on later generations of Capitoline painters. However, compared with the formal solutions and the technique typical of Conca, the clear monumental firmness and the fluid movement of the aureoled veil lean toward attributing the execution of the canvas preferably to the Maratta circle from the late 17th to the very early 18th century. The painting is a valuable testimony to the widespread fortune of Marian classicist devotion in the contemporary collecting market.

The painting is in good overall conservation condition, structurally stable and fully legible.

The original canvas had, in the past, a careful re-stretching intervention that ensures excellent tension of the support. On the painting surface there is a natural and dense network of craquelure (aging cracks), typical of oil binders of the period and perfectly stable.

Color passages and the delicate glazes of the flesh tones are well preserved; only minimal and old restorations localized on the dark background and along the peripheral margins are recorded. The surface is protected by a natural varnish that shows a slight and physiological oxidation, useful to give the work a warm patina of the era without altering the strong chiaroscuro structure.

The painting is enhanced by a gilded frame, of great visual impact (frame dimensions are approx. 91 x 71 x 6 cm, with 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 at no additional cost so that it is ready for display upon arrival. 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 grounds for opening a claim or requesting order cancellation."

PROVENANCE: Private Collection Sicily

PUBLICATION:
- UNPUBLISHED QUADRERIA, General catalog of the paintings in the Intermidiart Gallery collection by Andrea Maggio, 2026 (pdf).

In case of sale outside the Italian territory, the buyer must wait for the processing times of export procedures.