Completed Continental European before 1800 28 What more could be established about this Italian School painting?

Madonna and Child
Topic: Subject or sitter

The child Christ is modelled after ‘Madonna of the Lake (Madonna del Lago)’ by Marco d'Oggiono, located in Museum & Gallery at Bob Jones University https://bit.ly/3xL333S, also ‘Madonna with Child, young St. John the Baptist and St. Elisabeth" in the Ufizzi Gallery, Florence’ [attached]

Jacinto Regalado, separate submission: ‘This is Italian, first half of the 16th century. One possibility is Innocenzo da Imola, also known as Innocenzo Francucci (c. 1490-c. 1550), who painted mostly religious pictures in a Raphaelesque manner. The same window-at-upper-left device is seen in some paintings by him) https://bit.ly/3hICiHw and https://bit.ly/3i9hE2g

Gytis Oržikauskas, Entry reviewed by Art UK

Completed, Outcome

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27 comments

Jacinto Regalado,

It is also possible that d'Oggiono took the pose of the Christ Child from the painter of this picture.

Jacinto Regalado,

However, it is more likely that d'Oggiono was using Leonardo as model if he was indeed the latter's pupil.

Laura Schwendinger,

The style of the faces reminds me a little of Pontormo but not the landscape. Wrong time period as well.

Jacob Simon,

Is this a northern european work based on an Italian engraving or painting? The landscape at top left could be northern.

Jacinto Regalado,

Once again, input from an Italian expert would be most desirable.

Marcie Doran,

I’m not the Italian expert that you seek, Jacinto, but the three subjects in this painting look very similar to those in the following work by Polidoro da Lanciano (Polidoro de' Renzi) (Lanciano, 1510 circa - Venezia, 1565) at the Accademia Carrara. Note the similar hair, hairless temple, long forehead and pudgy arm of the child Christ. The young St. John the Baptist is nearly identical in both works.

“Sacra famiglia con san Giovannino”
“c 1550-1565”
https://www.lacarrara.it/catalogo/58ac00186/

Tamsyn Taylor,

This painting draws together elements from a number of different sources.

1. The Christ Child and the distant view draw on Leonardo's Virgin of the Rocks (National Gallery).
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_da_Vinci_Virgin_of_the_Rocks_{LPARENTHESES} National_Gallery_London).jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_da_vinci,_vergine_delle_rocce,_1491-92_poi_1506-08,_06.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:'The_Virgin_on_the_Rocks'_by_Leonardo_da_Vinci_{LPARENTHESES} 1491-1508),_at_the_National_Gallery_in_London.jpg

2. The figure of John appears to have been adapted from Raphael's Alba Madonna
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Raphael_-_The_Alba_Madonna_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg

3. The face of the Madonna has a strange similarity to that of Gossaert's Danae
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jan_Gossaert_003.jpg

Concerning Innocenzo da Imola, the quality of the work attributed to that person is so varied that I find it impossible to consider they are by a single painter. An artist of that group is a strong possibility.

Tamsyn Taylor,

I agree with Marcie Doran's suggestion that it is the work of Polidoro da Lanciano. When I look at that artist's work, I am recognising that he has plagiarised paintings by numerous artists, in particular, Titian.
The upward gazing person to one side of the painting is typical of Polidoro's compositions.
He was a prolific painter but his work was definitely at its best when he was doing a successful rip-off.

Here is another example
https://www.wga.hu/support/viewer_m/z.html

Marcie Doran,

Can you redo the link please, Tamsyn?

Jacob Simon,

More probably Flemish (Martin's post 16/7)

Jacinto Regalado,

Mary's face could be Flemish, but the children look very Italian.

Marcie Doran,

Please take a look at this work by Polidoro da Lanciano from a recent Sotheby’s auction (Jan. 30, 2020 - lot 157). In my opinion, the same model was used for the Madonna in both works. I have attached a composite for ease of comparison.

“Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist in a Landscape”
oil on panel
23 by 29¾ in.; 58.4 by 75.6 cm.
https://tinyurl.com/3vw3wd4e

Jacinto Regalado,

I do not believe our picture is by Polidoro da Lanciano. It does not look especially Venetian and is probably by an older artist.

Jacob Simon,

To my eye Marcie's post (11/08/2021) confirms a northern origin, rather than Italian, for our painting. Ours is harder and less fluid than the Italian paintings posted.

Jacob Simon,

And the landscape top left has a northern, possibly Flemish, appearance.

Jacinto Regalado,

I think Siciolante had a more graceful, elegant style with a more Mannerist feel than our picture, which is probably by an older artist.

Marcie Doran,

Here is the composite that I was unable to post last month.

Note: John the Baptist vs the child in the Madonna’s lap, the Madonna’s face and hair, her yellow sleeve, the fabric at her chest, and the fabric draped over her shoulder.

Jacinto Regalado,

Thank you, Marcie. That is helpful. The face of our St John is quite similar to that of the Christ Child, and there is some similarity in the handling of the faces and the hands of the Virgin. The head of the angel, especially the nose, is somewhat like the head of our Child. This is not proof, but it would be of great interest to have the opinion of a Siciolante expert such as John Hunter (see below):

https://en.lerma.it/libro/9788870628981

Jacinto Regalado,

I still think that Siciolante's known work is more graceful and elegant than our picture, though this could be by someone in his circle. Again, input from an expert would be highly desirable.

Jacinto Regalado,

I found contact information for John Hunter, the author of the monograph on Siciolante, and I have emailed him for his opinion. Should he reply, I will report accordingly.

Jacinto Regalado,

I received a very quick reply from John Hunter, the author of the 1996 monograph on Siciolante:

"I looked at the photograph of the painting you mentioned. My immediate reaction was that this painting has nothing in common with the work of Siciolante. Primarily, this painting uses a lot of chiaroscuro that was never a feature of any of Siciolante’s paintings of any period in his life. But, more importantly and more tellingly, the Madonna looks nothing like Siciolante’s female figures. Her facial features—the shape of the eyes, nose, and mouth—are not similar to Siciolante’s preferred forms. I think the only quality this painting shares with the work of Siciolante is the composition which is so typically Italian in the sixteenth century. This painting, in my opinion, originated more likely in the north of Italy perhaps under the influence of the work there of Leonardo da Vinci. Having seen in person virtually every known work of Siciolante during my research over several decades, I would not include this painting in his oeuvre."

Both Marco d'Oggiono and Innocenzo da Imola were northern Italian artists, and d'Oggiono was reputedly a pupil of Leonardo. Thus, it may be reasonable to list this under Northern Italian School and date it as 16th century.

Jacob Simon,

Both myself and Martin Hopkinson (16/07/2021) ask if this work could be Northern European or Flemish. In any case by a minor hand.