Scuola romana, Cerchia di Pompeo Batoni

- Roman School, Mid-18th Century Circle of Pompeo Batoni (Lucca 1708 – Rome 1787) - Madonna Reading - Oil on canvas, 63.5 X 49 - Coeval carved and gilded frame, 75.5 X 63 Refined oil on canvas depicting a Madonna in a contemplative attitude, captured in the intimacy of a sacred reading. The young Virgin, depicted half-length, gently lowers her gaze on the small volume she holds in her hands: a liturgical book, a probable symbol of Sapientia, a recurring attribute of the Madonna in sacred art. The pose is collected and meditative, highlighted by the gesture of the hand that touches the chest in a motion of devout introspection. The work stands out for the refined delicacy of the face, modeled by a soft light that enhances its idealized features, in line with the pictorial tradition of eighteenth-century Roman classicism. The chromatism, sober but rich in nuances, develops between the pastel tones of the blue cloak and the ocher veil, juxtaposed with balance to the pink robe. The painting is placed within the circle of Pompeo Batoni, one of the greatest exponents of Roman academic classicism of the 18th century. The composition, the taste for the smooth rendering of the complexion and the elegance of the hands refer to those models of grace and composure typical of Batonian female figures. Pompeo Batoni was known not only for his official portraits, but also for sacred subjects imbued with a measured idealism, in which the echo of Renaissance Raphael was combined with late-Baroque balance. In particular, the present painting recalls some of his versions of the Annunciate Virgin, including those preserved at the Museo di Capodimonte and the Louvre, and finds illustrative correspondences with the Virgin reading in a private collection in Lucca, whose image was very successful, as evidenced by the versions cited in the Clark monograph (1985, replica of unknown location but already of Florentine collection, one of Roman private collection, both with slight variations compared to the Lucca version and this under examination). The work proposed here clearly reflects the influence of the master, probably made by an artist active in his workshop or by a painter operating in the Roman context stylistically close to him. The careful formal care and the classical setting make it a full expression of the devout and cultured sensibility of the time. Professional packaging and insured shipping to ensure maximum safety in transport. For further information please do not hesitate to contact us +39 3335747733 – info@dequart.com Possibility of VIDEO CALLS and direct viewings by appointment in MILAN and OMEGNA (Vb). 
Measures H x L x P 75,5 x 63 x