Italian school (XVIII) - Madonna con Bambino - NO RESERVE

Antique painting, oil on canvas, eighteenth-century, depicting the Madonna and Child. Beautiful devotional composition with a fully eighteenth-century taste, portraying the Virgin three-quarter length with the Child held close in an intimate and affectionate maternal relationship. The canvas is characterized by the soft rendering of the flesh tones, the delicacy of the features, and the naturalism with which the Child’s figure is treated. Particularly successful is the construction of the Virgin’s figure, with a face sweetly idealized, framed by long loose hair, and the spontaneous relationship between the two figures. The composition, gathered within a dark background, plays on the contrast between the luminous flesh tones and the broad masses of the drapery, with a sober and refined palette. The painting language, while clearly traceable to the Italian figurative culture of the eighteenth century, shows a particular sensitivity toward that affectionate, intimate naturalism of Spanish origin which enjoyed wide fortune in Italy, especially through the knowledge and diffusion of the models of Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. The work can therefore be traced to the realm of mid-Italian painting of the eighteenth century, with possible reference to Roman artistic culture, in a context in which the models of great European painting were reinterpreted according to devotional taste and the new eighteenth-century painting language. The painting appears in generally good condition for its age, with a uniform and fully legible surface. A few small restoration spots are noted, along with old varnish layers and flaking of the surface, in a overall modest amount that does not compromise the legibility of the depiction. The craquelure is uniform and attributable to the period, with no signs of active delamination. No conservation problems are evident. The original canvas has a backing in good condition that ensures proper support and tensioning. The wooden frame seems to have been replaced at the time of the backing. Overall the work is structurally solid, aesthetically pleasing, and well preserved, while preserving the physiological traces of time that attest to its authenticity and conservation history. The painting is accompanied by a beautiful classic-style frame of relatively recent date. Defects, losses and signs of time, as well as restorations and reinforcements, are noted. The frame is included as a courtesy and is not part of the artwork; any damage to it will not be grounds for complaint or order cancellation. Dimensions of the painting: 81 x 65.5 cm - Dimensions of the frame: 90 x 73 cm Work accompanied by a photographic certificate of authenticity, as required by current law. Shipping with insured express courier and packing carried out with the utmost care.

Estimate:£1,684.09

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