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Old Master Paintings – Part I

PIETRO DI DOMENICO 1457

PIETRO DI DOMENICO 1457 SIENA A 1501/ 1533 MADONNA AND CHILD WITH TWO ANGELS Tempera on panel, gold ground. 59.3 x 39 cm (23 3/8 by 15 3/8 in.). Important Sienese Renaissance work of museum quality formerly Metropolitan Museum New York, from the collection of George and Florence Blumenthal. The portrait format panel painting is one of most important works by Pietro di Domenico. The master depicts densely crowded figures against a tooled gold ground. The painting shows the iconography of The Nursing Madonna. The Virgin, who is offering her breast to the Child, dominates the centre of the painting and is depicted in three-quarter length portrait. The Virgin is wearing a red dress and a still easily recognizable dark green cloak. She is turned slightly to the left looking at her Child, which is in turn holding his mother’s gaze. Both hands of the boy are folded around his mother’s wrist while she is supporting the seated Child in an upright position. The figures’ gaze and their body and hand postures suggest their close bond, a mature composition for this artist and also for its time. The two angels in the background are deliberately kept at a distance to this intimate scene: only the angel on the left attentively glances over the shoulder of the Virgin towards the Child, while the gaze of angel on the opposite side is slightly lost and outwards, towards the viewer as an inviting gesture for adoration. This emphasises the painting's purpose as a devotional picture. Characteristically both angels are also holding their hands in a gesture of prayer with only their fingertips touching, indicating a type of protective shield that enhances the intimate feel of the scene. These motifs are absent from other works by the master with the same subject, which suggests that the painting on offer for sale here is one of his late works (see below, Lit.: 2011). There are other stylistic features in addition to these details, which also indicate the master’s painting technique and demonstrate the painting's high quality. Unlike another work by di Domenico also depicting the iconography of The Nursing Madonna, the Child’s mouth is not latched onto the Virgin’s breast. This leaves room for speculation whether the act of breastfeeding is about to start or has been concluded, which would give rise to various interpretations. Other elements in the detailing also deserve to be appreciated: the gold ground in the background of the figures is very deliberately painted smoothly as a “sky”, only interrupted by the tooled marks of the halos and the border along the top edge, while the tooled marks of the Virgin’s dress are executed much more finely and already suggests a textile structure featuring decorative motifs on a magnificent brocade fabric and are, besides, in excellent condition and executed to great effect. The brocade cushion with open lacing that the Child is seated on, is similarly executed. While the halos of the youthful angels are engraved with rays, the Virgin's halo is inscribed with capital letters “AVE...CELO...”. These letters can be completed to read: "AVE REGINA CAELORUM" (Hail, Queen of Heaven). This is the first line of the lyrics that are, among others, sung after the evening prayer and continue “Hail, Queen of the Angels.”. This explains the presence of the two angels in this context. The most closely related painting from the master is his The Virgin and Christ Child with Saint Peter and Paul (Private collection, formerly Coudert Brothers, 1888). Unlike the painting on offer for sale in this lot the Child is depicted on the Virgin's breast in that version. Furthermore the depiction of the Child takes up a much smaller space, which is in line with previous tradition, while “our” devotional picture also emphasizes the Christ Child, which in turn suggests a more mature period of creation at the height of di Domenicos creative work. There are two known signed works by Pietro di Domenico, The Manger with Saint Martin and Saint Galgano (Pinakoteca Nazionale, Siena), and Madonna with Christ Child with Saint Jerome and Saint John the Baptist (City Art Gallery, York). The painting on offer for sale in this lot also ranks highly among the few known works by the master. Only few facts are known regarding the artist’s biography, training and career. His date of death, for instance, is debated and estimated in a period between 1501 and 1533. 1501 is the most probable date as a “Pietro di Domenico Dipintore” was accepted into the “Confraternità di San Girolamo” in 1497 and is listed as deceased in 1501. It is generally assumed that our master initially trained in Siena with Benvenuto di Giovanni (1436 - ca. 1518). Furthermore the painting on offer for sale here also shows influences by Francesco di Giorgio and Matteo di Giovanni for the first time. Condition: The panel painting is in very good condition consistent with age. Only a few millimetres of the top edge were cut at a very early age, several narrow cracks only visible on the reverse, and unnoticeable at the front due to restoration. The panel has been sanded at an early date to avoid warping and two transverse parquetting slats and bordering slats are attached. Restored. (†) Provenance: Between 1905 to at least 1909 Collection of Conte Giulio Sterbini, Rome. Then probably Sangiorgi, Rome. Until 1911: George and Florence Blumenthal, New York. In 1911 the painting was given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. no. 41.190.22). In 2015 the painting was sold at Sotheby’s, New York. Then private collection, Switzerland. Documentation and bibliographical references: The painting on offer for sale in this lot features extensive documentation due to its prominent provenance. Illustrated in the following publications: S. Rubinstein-Bloch, Gemälde Frühe Schulen, catalogue of the collection of George and Florence Blumenthal, vol. I, Paris 1926, ill. plate XXXIII. Aldo Lusini und Pietro Misciattelli, La donna senese del Rinascimento, Anno II., Fasc. IV, in: LA DIANA, 2, Nr. 4, 1927. Mit Abbildung S. 233. Dort Besitzangabe: New York - Raccolta Blumenthal. F. Zeri and E.E. Gardner, Italienische Malerei, Ein Katalog der Sammlung des Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sienesische und Mittelitalienische Schulen, New York 1980, S. 65, full-page illustration, plate 73. K. Baetjer, Europäische Gemälde im Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 1995, A Summary Catalogue, vol. I, with ill. p. 65. Further documentation and comparative literature: B.B. Fredericksen and F. Zeri, Volkszählung italienischer Gemälde aus dem 19. Jahrhundert in den öffentlichen Sammlungen Nordamerikas, Cambridge, Mass. 1972, p. 165, 347, 608. K. Baetjer, Europäische Gemälde im Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 1980, vol. I, p. 142. K. Christiansen , L. B. Kanter, C. Brandon-Strehkle, Gemälde in der Renaissance Siena 1420-1500, exhibition catalogue, New York 1988, p. 345. M. S. Frinta. Punched Decoration on Late Medieval Panel and Miniature Painting, 1998, part 1, p. 473, with ill. of the tooling. A. Rauch, “Malerei der Frührenaissance (Florence and Siena)”, in: Renaissance, Kunst und Architektur des 15. und 16. Jahrhunderts in Europa, Parragon publisher 2011. € 80.000 - € 120.000 INFO | BID 18 HAMPEL ONLINE Visit www.hampel-auctions.com for around 6.000 additional images.

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  • Page 30 and 31: 296 PIETER NEEFS, UM 157 ANEEN - UM
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    ANTONIO BALESTRA, 1 ENA - 1740 EENA

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    JAN VAN KESSEL D. J., 154 ANEEN - 1

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    320 AGNOLO DI C. ALLORI BRONZINO, E

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    325 FRANCESCO SOLIMENA, 157 ANAE I

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    327 FRANÇOIS PERRIER, UM 150 - UM

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    329 AAEME MAE ES 17 AUNES JOHANNES

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    332 LORENZO BELLOTTO, 1744 - 1770 I

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    334 GASPAR VAN WITTEL, 153 AMES/ UE

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    336 NEAPOLITANISCHER MEISTER ES 17

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    338 PAOLO DOMENICO FINOGLIO, UM 150

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    339 FRANZÖSISCHER MALER ES 17 AUNE

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    344 ABRAHAM VAN DER HOEF, 111/1 - 1

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    346 ABRAHAM VAN DER HOEF, 111/1 - 1

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    349 MARTEN VAN CLEVE, 157 ANEEN - 1

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    350 ADAM BREEN, UM 150 AMSEAM - UM

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    352 HIERONYMUS FRANCKEN D.J. UND WE

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    357 DAVID RYCKAERT D. J., 15 ANEEN

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    359 IAIENISE MAE ES 17 AUNES MADONN

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    JOSEPH MASWIENS, 1 - 10 DAS INNERE

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    366 WILHELM PANNEELS, 150/110 - 134

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    370 CARLO AMALFI, I 175 - UM 177 NE

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    375 JAN BRUEGHEL DER JÜNGERE, 101

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    378 JACOB XAVERY, 173 - 1770 FRÜCH

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    379 BONIFACIO DE PITATI, GENANNT BO

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    384 PAUL DE VOS, 151 - 17 U KAMPF Z

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    386 ITALIENISCHER MEISTER ES 17 AUN

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    390 JACOPO IL PALMA, GENANNT „PAL

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    392 MISE MEISE ES 17 AUNES SCHLACHT

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    395 FRANS FRANCKEN D. J., 151 ANEEN

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    397 ABRAHAM BRUEGHEL, 131 - 17 IN U

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    399 PIETER CASTEELS III, 14 ANEEN -

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    404 CLAUDE VIGNON, 153 US - 170 AIS

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    MISE MAE UM 100 TRIUMPH DES DAVID

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    GIUSEPPE BERNARDINO BISON, 17 AMANA

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    JAN JOZEFSZ. VAN GOYEN, 15 EIEN - 1

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    420 CHARLES FRANÇOIS LACROIX DE MA

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    422 MISE MAE ES 17 AUNES FLUSSLANDS

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    423 JAN FRANS VAN BLOEMEN, 1 ANEEN

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    CONTINUE WITH PAGE FLIP CATALOGUE I

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