Giovanni Battista Salvo, Il Sassoferrato (1609–1685), Workshop of - Madonna con Bambino dormiente - RESERVE

Workshop of GIOVANNI BATTISTA SALVI,
called THE SASSOFERRATO
(Sassoferrato, 1609 – Rome, 1685)
Madonna with Sleeping Child
Oil on canvas, 75.5 x 63 cm


NOTE: Work published in the Intermidiart catalog. Unsigned work. Certificate of Guarantee and Lawful Provenance. Unframed work.

The work illustrates an episode featuring the Virgin Mary with the sleeping Child Jesus, an iconographic subject that draws on a widespread and well-established motif in the 17th century: the Holy Family. The painting, in good readable condition, places the Virgin and Child at the center of a composition: in this case, it refers to a legendary stopover of the Holy Family, which, according to Christian tradition, occurred during the return journey after the flight into Egypt. The depiction of sacred figures in a limited space, the so-called "Sacred Conversations," became widely popular starting in the 16th century.
The scene is depicted with the aforementioned Madonna in a three-quarter view, wrapped in ample drapery and turned to the left, her head resting on that of the Child sleeping in her arms, his head resting on her right shoulder. Immersed in a dark, neutral setting, the figures of the Virgin and Child dominate, both in the foreground and exquisitely painted and illuminated by an extraordinary radiant light. The figures, bathed in light, dominate the scene, enhanced by the beauty of the faces of both the Virgin and Child, as well as by a vestal in the Virgin's pale blue tones, and by the light-filled body of the Baby Jesus. This work appeals directly to the viewer's feelings, engaging the senses through a language and iconography that is simple, direct, obvious, yet engaging. This characteristic punctuates the composition of the work, and the attention to detail is also decidedly imbued with the surprising "visual effect" adopted and sought by the artist.
The painting offers the gaze and contemplation of the observer a very complete and pleasant scene, with a dense and precious pictorial rendering and a fluid contrast of values and application of the color tones used in chiaroscuro, due to the skill and virtuosity of the author.
Although sometimes considered a work by Sassoferrato's workshop, the painting depicts a subject highly frequented by the artist, according to an iconography replicated and attested several times: canvases with the same subject are held in London, at the Wallace Collection and the Courtald Institute; The Hague, at the Cramer Gallery; Chambéry; the Musée des Beaux-Arts (gift of Vittorio Emanuele II); Dresden, at the Gemäldegalerie; Paris; the Louvre; Madrid; the Prado Museum; Cesena, at the Pinacoteca Comunale; Urbino; the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche; Avignon, and the Musée Calvet. The iconography originates from an engraving by Guido Reni and focuses on the description of the tender, emotional bond between mother and child, in the abandonment of sleep emphasized by the deliberate amplitude of the drapes that envelop the figures like a welcoming nest. Without a direct comparison between the various replicas and copies, it is very difficult to distinguish Sassoferrato's autographs from the high-quality production of the workshop. The comparison of photographic reproductions between the Sabauda painting and some of the versions accredited with certainty as autograph, such as the painting preserved in Urbino or the one in the Pinacoteca of Cesena (see Giovan Battista Salvi “Il Sassoferrato”, [edited by François Macé De Lépinay, Pietro Zampetti, Silvia Cuppini Sassi], Sassoferrato, Comitato Celebrazioni per il III Centenario della morte, 1990, pp. 60-61, 94-95), seems to show a less accurate graphic elaboration in the Turin painting, less attention to the definition of the shading of the drapery, a lesser elegance in the description of the Madonna's face and in the chromatic direction of the composition, with a slightly more saccharine effect, which leads to the painting being classified, prudently, as a workshop work, while reiterating its excellent workmanship and quality.
Giovan Battista Salvi, better known by the name of his hometown, Sassoferrato, received his early training from his father Tarquinio, before making a crucial and formative journey to Rome. There, he studied the works of his contemporary, Guido Reni, which is evident in the present pictorial composition. He was also influenced by the great masters of the previous century, especially Raphael. Indeed, Sassoferrato's paintings are stylistically imbued with sixteenth-century classicism, and his compositions often reveal nuances of highly refined archaism. Although highly sought-after as a portraitist, the artist is best celebrated for his devotional paintings, which, like the present work, are characterized by an intimate and refined tone.
Regarding its state of conservation, the work is in generally fair condition considering its age; the painted surface has a patina. Under Wood's light, some scattered old restorations and some light peeling and oxidation of the painted surface are visible. Under sunlight, a fine craquelure consistent with its age is visible. The painting has been relined. The stretcher may have been replaced when it was relined. The canvas measures 75.5 x 63 cm.
The painting is sold unframed, despite being embellished with a valuable gold and black lacquered frame.

Provenance: Private Collection

Publication
Unpublished
Myths and the Territory in Sicily with a thousand cultures. UNPUBLISHED QUADRERIA, general catalog of the paintings from the collection of the cycle 'Myths and the Territory,' Publisher Lab_04, Marsala, 2025.

In the case of sales outside the Italian territory, the buyer must wait for the export procedures to be completed.