Workshop of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Il Guercino (Cento, 1591 - Bologna, 1666)
Attributable to Bartolomeo Gennari (Cento, 1594 - Bologna, 1661)
Saint Mark the Evangelist
Oil on canvas - 85 x 71 cm, framed 100 x 86 cm
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This precious 17th-century painting, of great character and excellent quality, depicts Saint Mark the Evangelist, portrayed in half-length, in profile to the right, intent on sharpening his quill pen. In the dark background, on the right, you can see a bookcase with several volumes, an inkwell and a cartouche, elements that allude to his role, and the lion with the open Gospel, attributes of the Saint.
The Evangelist, with the features of a young man with a beard and thick hair, full of expressive vigor, is dressed in a tunic highlighted by an intense red, covered on the shoulders by a blue cloak.
The iconography originates in the series of the four Evangelists created between 1615 and 1623 by Guercino on commission from Cardinal Alessandro d'Este, brother of Duke Cesare d'Este, sold in 1746 to Augustus III of Saxony and now at the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden.
Our canvas therefore shows its evident belonging to the close circle of the 17th century Emilian master: the execution technique and stylistic features agree with those of a work datable to the first half of the 17th century, which manifests the characteristics of an artist in the close circle of Guercino, well informed about the pictorial novelties conceived by the master, and therefore presumably active within his prestigious workshop.
In our specific case, the independent typological characters correspond to those of the painting of Bartolomeo Gennari (Conto, 1594 - Bologna, 1661), a painter constantly active alongside Barbieri.
During the years of his lasting career, Bartolomeo dedicated himself steadily to the creation of works and derivations from Guercino's compositions, for this reason he is considered one of the best official copyists of the master, who habitually assigned him the replicas of his best inventions, sometimes intervening personally to perfect them and make them difficult to distinguish from the paintings of total Guercino authorship.
The painting is completed by a beautiful wooden frame.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
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