Madonna in Glory among Angels, Giovanni Balducci (Florence, 1560 – Naples, after 1631)

Giovanni Balducci, called "il Cosci" (Florence, 1560 – Naples, after 1631) Madonna in Glory among Angels Oil on panel 48 x 37 cm. - Framed 68 x 57 cm. Full details of the work (click HERE) We are offering this splendid painting in our gallery, of refined taste and pictorial value, illustrating the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception in glory among angels. The stylistic characteristics of the painting certainly point to a painter of Tuscan origin active in the second half of the 16th century, adhering to the refined style of Florentine Mannerism. In particular, we are inclined to connect his work to Giovanni Balducci, called "il Cosci" (Florence, 1560 – Naples, after 1631). He trained in the workshop of Giovanni Battista Naldini, reflecting the lessons of Giorgio Vasari and late Florentine Mannerism. However, as can be inferred from the work on offer, his style avoids the virtuoso excesses of early Mannerism in favor of greater composure and formal rigor that reflected the religious dictates of the Council of Trent. From 1575 to 1579, he collaborated with Federico Zuccari on the completion of the frescoes of the Last Judgment in Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. After three years in Rome, from 1577 to 1580, where he worked with his master on the decoration of the Altoviti Chapel in the Church of Trinità dei Monti, he resettled in Florence, where he took part in the project led by Alessandro Allori for the decoration of the ceilings of the corridors on the top floor of the Uffizi. Observing the panel and its details, one is struck by the quality of execution, from which emerges the vibrancy of the colors and an accentuated figurative precision, to the point that it can be definitively attributed to the hand of the painter, celebrated for his painting characterized by a balanced composition and a narrative vein that combines Florentine elegance with a religious severity that anticipates the trends of the 17th century. The master has placed the triumphant figure of the Virgin at the center of the composition, statuary, enveloped by clouds, depicted seated as if on a throne of clouds with her gaze towards the heavens. Before her, a profusion of angels and cherubs, as if to envelop her figure and carry her upwards, while two of them correct lit torches, carrying with them a rich symbolism linked to light, spiritual guidance, and the passage between heaven and earth, symbolizing the accompaniment of the soul or the body assumed into heaven. The lunette of light behind her is beautiful, its lower contour marked by the heads of cherubini, an expedient we find in the 'Christ in Glory with Apostles and Saints' from the Palmer Museum of Art in Pennsylvania, dated around 1586, oil on panel. Imm.1 (upper detail) Giovanni Balducci (1560–1631), Christ in Glory with Apostles and Saints c. 1586, oil on panel, 60.4 x 43.2 cm, Palmer Museum of Art ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work is sold complete with a gilded frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. We handle and organize the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting in our gallery in Riva del Garda; we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on: https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/