Ippolito Scarsella, known as Lo Scarsellino (Ferrara, circa 1550 - 1620) workshop
Panel depicting Madonna and Child, Saint James the Greater and the donor in armour
Technique: oil on panel
Measurements: 93 x 72 cm / with frame cm 109 x 86 cm
Provenance: Prato, Farsetti, auction of 28.10.2016, lot 261 (link)
The complete details of this work can be consulted directly from the following - LINK -
A majestic Madonna in Glory occupies the upper register of the canvas, seated on a blanket of iridescent clouds and surrounded by angels, flanked by a cherub who scatters flowers contained in a cornucopia towards the Christ child as a sign of abundance, naked and held with both hands by the mother.
In the lower part of the composition stands the figure of Saint James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles, standing on the right side of the panel, represented dressed in a humble tunic; one arm supports the open book of the Gospel, while the other holds a pilgrim's staff with a cross.
A particular aspect of the panel is the presence in the central part, to indicate its importance, of the figure of the donor, kneeling on a cushion, with his hands clasped in prayer and his face observing the Virgin in an attitude of devotion, while on the lectern in front is placed a prayer book; depicted with the features of a young leader in armour, with a sword and a rich iridescent red cloak, elements that, combined with his authoritative composure, enhance his ennoblement.
Unlike medieval panels, the knight is included here in the space of the painting and has dimensions that are proportionate to those of the other figures, fully entering the sacred scene, with a pose that cannot but evoke the detail of the 'Montefeltro altarpiece' created by Piero della Francesca for Federico da Montefeltro, kneeling before the sacred group in the guise of a leader.
On the right, the view recedes into the distance, highlighting the background of an urban landscape set on a hill, behind which stands a mountain range, with the peculiarity of the arched aqueduct that runs along the entire landscape. Presumably, the donor's own possessions and his hometown were located among these expanses.
This is a quality panel, imbued with the late Mannerist style still resistant in the second half of the 16th century, characterised by a 'sweet and affable religiosity, rendered through a manner of studied simplicity and grace', which highlights the unmistakable stylistic and chromatic features of the production of Ippolito Scarsella from Ferrara, known as lo Scarsellino (Ferrara, circa 1550 - 1620), one of the most important artists of Emilian art between the two centuries.
The painting, of refined execution, probably executed by the master himself or with the collaboration of one of his pupils, is therefore an excellent example of his aesthetic imprint. In particular, observing the chromatic mixture, dense and throbbing, the bright tones and the richness of luminous effects, as well as the design and the scenic setting, we cannot but see the clear homage to Venetian art, primarily to Paolo Veronese, as is typical of the painter's early maturity.
In those years, the author was seeking a synthesis between the Tuscan tradition, of drawing and plastic setting, and the Venetian one, of rich chromatic orchestration.
Destined for private devotion, the beautiful painting proposes in small format a composition borrowed from the model of the altarpiece but made more intimate and daily by the background of landscape and the sky full of clouds on which the divine apparition stands out. A genre evidently requested by the Ferrara market, as indicated by other versions of the same theme, with variations in the number and choice of saints, made by Scarsellino.
The work is offered in good condition, complete with a pleasant gilded wooden frame.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
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