ITALIAN - BOLOGNESE SCHOOL 17thC - RELIGIOUS SCENE ATTR. CANTARINI - INK DRAWING
Item History & Price
In the past month of April, I was contacted by a colegue-friend of Paris, mentioning a collection of Italian drawings from an old English collection were coming on the market through a Milanese dealer I know well. Finaly, I acquired this collection, showing a variety of Italian drawings, datable from the early 17th till the late 18th century. This fine collection will come on the market during the following weeks.An added page bares the inscription "Con ts Lindsay" (this refers to Ja...mes Lindsay, the 24th Earl of Crawford. Further inscriptions reveal the early (English) provenance of the collection. Finaly, another inscription tells us that the collection was bought in Italy in the year 1825 (a copy of this page will be added on request).
The present drawing, executed in pen and ink on laid paper, depicts a religious scene (in our opinion "the Presentation of Jesus in the temple".
This drawing, a real nervous first scetch, was a first preparatory study for a larger scale painting.Backside : a simular scetch, also depicting a religious scene (we think also related to the "Presentation" story).
Authorship : the drawing is from the Italian-Bolognese School, attributed to Simone Cantarini. Our drawing shows simularities with several Cantarini scetches, such as "Sheet of Studies, including Sketches of a Seated Woman with a Child. Verso: Various Studies, including two Sketches of a Pair of Striding Figures", ex collection Mr. & Mrs. Eugene V. Thaw, as a gift in 1973 to the Morgan Library & Museum.
SIMONE CANTARINI (Pesaro 1612 - Verona 1648) : Italian painter, draughtsman, also called "il Pesarese". Simone Cantarini was born in Pesaro, in the Marches, a region which was a crossroads for artists from many parts of Italy. Cantarini began his artistic training quite young, in the studio of Giovanni Giacomo Pandolfi, a painter of religious works who combined the local naturalism with the mannerist style of the late sixteenth century. After a brief trip to Venice, Cantarini moved to the shop of Claudio Ridolfi, a student of Paolo Veronese. From Ridolfi he received training in the Venetian manner that was also a strong current in the local tradition, as well as a deep appreciation for the art of Federico Barocci. In about 1629 Ridolfi left Pesaro, forcing Cantarini to continue his studies on his own.
The most significant event of Cantarini's youth was the arrival, probably in 1632, of Guido Reni's "Madonna and Child with Saints and Saint Jerome". The young artist quickly assimilated Guido's style and soon received important commissions.Upon his arrival in Bologna, probably in 1634 or 1635, Cantarini presented himself in Guido's studio as a painter of little training. His abilities soon became evident. Although Guido recognized that Cantarini was already a fully formed painter, he made the young man his most trusted pupil and secured him many commissions. Eventually, however, Cantarini's infamous pride and unbridled tongue came to the fore and alienated the master and the entire studio.
The decisive break came in 1637. From this point on, Cantarini's relations with his patrons also deteriorated rapidly, to the point where his commissions fell off almost entirely.
In 1639 Cantarini is documented at his sister's wedding in Pesaro. It must have been shortly thereafter, in 1640 or 1641, that he made a brief trip to Rome. Following Guido's death in 1642, Cantarini returned to Bologna, where he maintained a successful studio until his death in 1648 following a stay in Mantua. His behavior and criticisms of the Gonzaga collection created a scandal and it is suspected that he was poisoned by an angry rival.
Period : ca. 1630-1640.
Size : 15, 5x13, 1cm (without support).
Provenance :
Collection James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford, who acquired the collection in Italy in 1825 ("bt. in Italy a. 1825").Collection Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford and 6th Earl of Balcarres (of Haig Hall - Wigan), by heritage.Private collection Milan (Italy).
Condition : Fairly good. Some scattered dirt throughout. Attached to a paper support by the top and right side. Top corner right missing. Mid vertical and mid horuizontal, top corner left : traces of folding. Unframed.
Shipping : flat shippingrate 16$. Shipped as International Registered Mail (with trackingn°). Combined shipping available.
The present drawing, executed in pen and ink on laid paper, depicts a religious scene (in our opinion "the Presentation of Jesus in the temple".
This drawing, a real nervous first scetch, was a first preparatory study for a larger scale painting.Backside : a simular scetch, also depicting a religious scene (we think also related to the "Presentation" story).
Authorship : the drawing is from the Italian-Bolognese School, attributed to Simone Cantarini. Our drawing shows simularities with several Cantarini scetches, such as "Sheet of Studies, including Sketches of a Seated Woman with a Child. Verso: Various Studies, including two Sketches of a Pair of Striding Figures", ex collection Mr. & Mrs. Eugene V. Thaw, as a gift in 1973 to the Morgan Library & Museum.
SIMONE CANTARINI (Pesaro 1612 - Verona 1648) : Italian painter, draughtsman, also called "il Pesarese". Simone Cantarini was born in Pesaro, in the Marches, a region which was a crossroads for artists from many parts of Italy. Cantarini began his artistic training quite young, in the studio of Giovanni Giacomo Pandolfi, a painter of religious works who combined the local naturalism with the mannerist style of the late sixteenth century. After a brief trip to Venice, Cantarini moved to the shop of Claudio Ridolfi, a student of Paolo Veronese. From Ridolfi he received training in the Venetian manner that was also a strong current in the local tradition, as well as a deep appreciation for the art of Federico Barocci. In about 1629 Ridolfi left Pesaro, forcing Cantarini to continue his studies on his own.
The most significant event of Cantarini's youth was the arrival, probably in 1632, of Guido Reni's "Madonna and Child with Saints and Saint Jerome". The young artist quickly assimilated Guido's style and soon received important commissions.Upon his arrival in Bologna, probably in 1634 or 1635, Cantarini presented himself in Guido's studio as a painter of little training. His abilities soon became evident. Although Guido recognized that Cantarini was already a fully formed painter, he made the young man his most trusted pupil and secured him many commissions. Eventually, however, Cantarini's infamous pride and unbridled tongue came to the fore and alienated the master and the entire studio.
The decisive break came in 1637. From this point on, Cantarini's relations with his patrons also deteriorated rapidly, to the point where his commissions fell off almost entirely.
In 1639 Cantarini is documented at his sister's wedding in Pesaro. It must have been shortly thereafter, in 1640 or 1641, that he made a brief trip to Rome. Following Guido's death in 1642, Cantarini returned to Bologna, where he maintained a successful studio until his death in 1648 following a stay in Mantua. His behavior and criticisms of the Gonzaga collection created a scandal and it is suspected that he was poisoned by an angry rival.
Period : ca. 1630-1640.
Size : 15, 5x13, 1cm (without support).
Provenance :
Collection James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford, who acquired the collection in Italy in 1825 ("bt. in Italy a. 1825").Collection Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford and 6th Earl of Balcarres (of Haig Hall - Wigan), by heritage.Private collection Milan (Italy).
Condition : Fairly good. Some scattered dirt throughout. Attached to a paper support by the top and right side. Top corner right missing. Mid vertical and mid horuizontal, top corner left : traces of folding. Unframed.
Shipping : flat shippingrate 16$. Shipped as International Registered Mail (with trackingn°). Combined shipping available.
