Francesco Solimena (Napoli 1657 - 1747)

Francesco Solimena (Canale di Serino 1657 – Barra 1747) workshop/circle The Allegory of Europe oil on canvas 102 x 76 cm. - with frame: 119 x 92 cm. Full details (click HERE) The work, datable to around the early 18th century, revisits a subject conceived by Solimena that later achieved great success: it is the Allegory of Europe, which, together with three other compositions, specifically the allegories of Asia, Africa, and America, belonged to the series of personifications of the 'Four Parts of the World' that Francesco Solimena painted in 1738. Originally executed as frescoes, they were conceived to decorate the private chamber of Charles III of the House of Bourbon in the Royal Palace of Naples and painted to celebrate his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony. The focal point of the representation, in our painting, is the female figure, depicted with regal attributes, seated with an imperious air while holding the model of an architectural building (a temple) in her left hand, assisted by a putto, while with her other hand she points to a crown and a papal tiara, resting on a base bearing the name Europe. Of these mural works, lost during the fire that destroyed the apartments in 1837, several study versions remain preserved, many of which are oval in format, such as the four canvases now housed at the Doria Pamphilj Gallery in Rome (link), and traditionally considered preparatory sketches for the fresco. Other paintings are kept in private collections or have passed through the antiquarian market: - Berlin, Alte Nationalgalerie - Hazlitt Gallery, London (United Kingdom), reported in 1960: http://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/fotografia/119503/Anonimo%20-%20Anonimo%20napoletano%... - Sothebys, New York, May 26, 2022: https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/master-paintings-and-drawings-part-ii/allegories-of-the... The proposed canvas, in particular, is certainly the work of an author from the workshop or in any case from the close circle of Solimena: examining the execution technique, a quick draft is observed, typical of models, and also the analysis of the craquelure would indicate a contemporary dating and therefore a likely genesis in the master's workshop. The painting offered here can in fact be compared with the prototype preserved in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery, although the composition is specular, and could therefore be another version executed with some variations by a pupil of his studio. In the then capital of the Austrian viceroyalty, Solimena created a prestigious workshop in which some of the greatest painters of the Neapolitan eighteenth century were formed. The painting is in good condition. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work is sold complete with a pleasant frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic sheet. We handle and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. If you wish to see this or other works in person, we will be happy to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, in Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We are waiting for you! Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you. Also follow us on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/