Lombard painter active in the 17th century
Baby Jesus
Oil on canvas (70 x 82 cm, in antique frame 78 x 91 cm)
The complete details of this painting can be found at the following - link -
This painting depicts an unusual and pleasing iconographic theme, occasionally used by the Christian tradition but here represented following a peculiar iconography that places the Divine Child lying on a candid cloth spread in a small and low straw manger; the sacred scene is set in a sort of infantile alcove, from which a natural glimpse opens in the background, with white sheets and pillow. The banner reads "Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum".
Jesus is awake and scrutinizes directly towards the observer, not sleeping as in most of this type of work, and in a serene and lively attitude, with the carefree nature of any newborn child, and above all the scene is devoid of the usual attributes of the Passion or other references that may evoke his future sacrifice.
It is therefore a sacred painting that, by virtue of its probable destination as a propitious gift for a birth, is not shrouded in any excess of religiosity.
Near the small one, a cartouche with the biblical inscription "Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum" (Prov. VII, 31). This message finds its foundation in inviting every man, from his tender age, to be virtuous, adducing as motivation the great love that God pours on man, especially since he is a child. Hence the meaning of the locution Deliciae meae esse cum filiis hominum, that is ''I have placed my delights among the sons of men'', because innocent and pure, and therefore not yet become prey to vice.
Particularly remarkable are his delicate complexion and the care with which the features of the face have been defined, so realistic that we could therefore assume that it was a real portrait.
The tenderly natural interpretation reveals a depiction executed by an artist active in the mid-seventeenth century: with greater precision we can attribute the execution to an Italian (or Flemish) painter active in Lombardy (compare some maternities of Giulio Cesare Procaccini, from which our author must necessarily have been inspired for the depiction of the child).
The work is in good condition and is complete with a beautiful gilded wooden frame.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.
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