Cesare Dandini (1596–1657), Follower of - Heilige Agnes von Rom (Sant’Agnese)

Cesare Dandini (1596–1657) (circle/ followers), Saint Agnes of Rome (Sant’Agnese), likely 17th century.

Oil on canvas, 76 x 63 cm, signed, doubled, and stretched onto a stretcher.

Condition: age-appropriate, but very good. Craquelure over the entire surface and yellowed varnish, which give the painting a certain mood. Photos are part of the condition description.

Provenance: Private collection, Berlin.

About
The high-quality oil painting depicts Saint Agnes of Rome with her traditional attributes, the lamb as a symbol of purity and innocence, and the palm branch as a sign of her martyrdom.

The young saint appears in a quiet, almost portrait-like representation against a dark background, which effectively highlights the finely worked facial features and the sculpturally modeled portions of the garments.

The idealized physiognomy, the gentle expression, and the softly graded light–dark contrasts show stylistic parallels to Florentine Baroque painting of the 17th century, especially to the artistic milieu around Cesare Dandini (1596–1657).

Characteristic are the elegant handling of figures, the harmonious color palette, and the subtle fusion of religious devotion and worldly beauty, as also found in Dandini’s female saint figures.

The later doubled canvas painting belongs to the pictorial tradition of Florentine High Baroque and can be tentatively attributed to the circle or followers of Cesare Dandini based on its stylistic features.