Italian school (XVII) - ​Tête d'étude de la Vierge

Italian School of the 17th Century
​Study Head of the Virgin – Oil on canvas, re-stretched
Dimensions: 32.5 x 41 cm
​Magnificent old oil study on canvas, dating from the 17th century, representing a head of the Virgin with a gaze deeply contemplative and raised toward the sky.
​In the great tradition of Italian devotional painting — evoking the spirit of Bologna masters such as Guido Reni or Sassoferrato — this cabinet-format work delights with the softness of its modelling, the finesse of the flesh-tone transitions and the dramatic intensity of its lighting. The face is framed by a dark veil, typical of Marian iconography of the period.
​Condition and material history:
​Support: The work has undergone an old, high-quality re-stretching, guaranteeing the perfect stability of the canvas. It is stretched on a keyed frame with a central crossbar.
​Surface: The pictorial layer presents a beautiful network of authentic age craquelure, with a slight cupping indicating its antiquity. The painting retains its old surface varnish, uniformly oxidized, which gives the whole a warm patina and timeless charm.
​An intimate work, ideal for a connoisseur of old art or a collector of cabinets of curiosities.