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

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

NOTE: Catalogue publication of the Intermidiart collection works (pdf). Unsigned work. Certificate of Guarantee and Legitimate Provenance. Work with contemporaneous frame (?) in carved and gilt wood (defects):

The small and refined sheet – pastel on paper, applied to a canvas support – depicts Mary Magdalene Penitent captured in the typical ecstatic attitude of Baroque devotion, set on an emotional diagonal that directs the sorrowful face and glistening eyes upward.
The stylistic and expressive characteristics of the work converge unmistakably toward Milanese figurative culture of the mid-Seicento and early Settecento, more precisely within the circle or follower of Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (Milan, 1609 – 1662). Historically known as the “Guido Reni of Lombardy,” Nuvolone bridged Milanese painting from the severe and dramatic atmospheres of the Borromeo-era early Seicento to a softer, more fluid and sentimental painting of the affections.
The drawing at hand directly borrows from the master’s prototypes (such as the Magdalene in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana or the famous version in the Cerruti Foundation) the core stylistic elements of his sacred repertoire: the diaphanous, mother-of-pearl skin of the saint; the pathetically cut large, moist, reddened eyes turned to the heavens; the full lips parted 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 Seicento execution finds solid support in the pastel’s structural rendering, which here does not yet show the ornamentalities or decorative scripts typical of the eighteenth-century Rococo. On the contrary, the medium is used with an almost thick painterly density, emulating oil-on-canvas textures to satisfy the search for atmospheric softness characteristic of Nuvolone.
The use of pastel on paper applied to canvas in the course of the seventeenth century represents a refined exception, tied to high-status Milanese private commissions that required small formats for small domestic altars or bedrooms, favoring contemplation and emotional closeness to the sacred (the movement of the affections).
The work’s coherence is fully sealed by its carved and gold-leaf wooden frame, whose decorative motifs reflect Lombard ornamental models of the mid-seicento.
Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (Milan, 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 trained at the Ambrosian Academy under Cerano.
Soon he emancipated himself from the severe and dramatic expressionism of early Seicento Borromean to embrace a fluid, lyrical style heavily influenced by the colorism of Anthony van Dyck and the formal grace of Guido Reni (so much so that he deserved the historical epithet “Guido Reni of Lombardy”). Owner of one of Milan’s most active workshops of the century, he realized grand cycles of frescoes (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 trajectory.
The work presents in a overall fairly stable condition, a significant datum considering the fragility of the technique and its dating to the mid-Seicento and early Settecento.
The old sheet 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 ensures optimal tension, keeping the surface perfectly flat and protected from warping.
The pastel pigments retain excellent adhesion to the support. No color losses from powdering are recorded, nor the typical microscopic flaking detachments. The stroke maintains its original “thick” and blended density. No signs of past humidity, biological attacks (mould), or foxing on the Saint’s face.
Dimensions of the work are 35.5 x 28.5 cm.
The painting is enriched 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 was added to the artwork by the seller or a third party. The frame is provided at no additional cost so it is ready to 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 a valid reason to open a claim or cancel the order."

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

Publication:
- The Myths and the Territory in Sicily of the thousand cultures. UNPUBLISHED SQUARES general catalog of paintings from the cycle “The Myths and the Territory,” 2026 (Pdf).

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