Workshop of Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 – Parma 1615)
Portrait of a child (Alessandro Farnese?)
First half of the 17th century
Oil on canvas
95 x 66 cm - Framed 109 x 80 cm
This intense portrait of a young child is an interesting work from the workshop of the Modenese painter Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 – Parma 1615), active from 1607 at the court of Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza.
It is, in fact, a detail extracted from a more complex painting, 'The Alms of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary' (1610-11), commissioned by the Farnese family and executed by Schedoni in 1611: in the work, Elizabeth, Queen of Thuringia who lived in the 13th century and known for her charitable works, is depicted in the act of giving alms to the needy.
Our little effigy, placed in the foreground of the original painting, is the protagonist here as he turns his gaze to the observer, with the aim of drawing attention and arousing involvement, according to an expedient that often recurs in Schedoni's paintings.
Interesting is the interpretation that would see the child as an allegory of the young first-born Alessandro Farnese, (born on 5 September 1610, ten years after the marriage between Ranuccio and Margherita Aldobrandini), given that on the occasion of the birth, the ducal couple organised celebrations and almsgiving for many days.
The painting would therefore have been commissioned as a votive offering in thanks for the birth of the son: the infant wears a jacket with yellow and blue colours, an evident reference to the Duchy of Parma, while the white undershirt and the red cord, which fastens his clothes, would indicate the intervention of Saint Elizabeth, Franciscan allegory of charity, who intercedes at the birth of the child.
This could be an appropriate interpretation also in relation to the depiction of the child, certainly not a beggar or an orphan, considering his fine and delicate appearance, the care of his clothes, his combed blonde hair and perfect little feet, as well as the regal bearing and the proud gaze with which he looks at us intensely.
The proposed work could be, given the excellent quality of execution, by an artist from the workshop of Bartolomeo Schedoni, capable of fully reproducing his style and quality: the magic of the painting and the use of light and colours, with the chiaroscuro effects that accentuate its three-dimensionality, in full Baroque style, bring us back to the ability to create that atmosphere with an almost metaphysical effect that made Schedoni a master of great level.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold complete with an antique frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
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