Ilario Mercanti, known as "lo Spolverini" (Parma, 1657 - 1734)
Scene of a night naval battle
oil on copper (oval)
59 x 74 cm - with frame 83 x 98 cm
NOTE: Please note that the painting depicts a night battle, which by its nature is dark and requires adequate lighting to be fully appreciated, as shown in the published photos.
Full details (click HERE)
The painting presented depicts a meticulous night naval battle and is a work attributable to the Italian Ilario Mercanti (Parma 1657 – 1734), better known by the nickname Spolverini. It is a painting executed on copper, a support that allows one to savor the palette in the full of its chromatic values, here characterized by great intensity.
The scene represents a chaotic clash between the vessels of two European armies, presumably between English and French fleets: the foreground is dominated by a close-quarters engagement between two groups of men on small boats, probably during a ship boarding. The general impression is one of intense violence and desperate struggle, accentuated by the dramatic nocturnal setting, with figures struggling in the water, while in the background, imposing warships exchange cannon fire in a leaden sky dense with smoke.
Numerous examples exist related to this part of Spolverini's activity, always supported by his characteristic skill in animating intricate groups of figures and by great inventive capacity, with such an inventive ease that he was not forced to resort to repetition or self-copying.
The scene depicted is intensely dramatic and vivid, with a cold, lunar light filtering through the dark clouds and smoke emanating from a burning ship, accentuating and contributing to the overall sense of competitive vigor in the painting. The background tones of the entire composition, dark yet intense and brilliant, accentuated by the deep red color patches that characterize its execution, enhance the violence of this night clash.
As comparative examples, we can recall the pair of "Battles of Fornovo" (Pinacoteca di Parma), one daytime and the other nighttime, in which he gives a first taste of his luministic peculiarities through the artificial light of the background explosion, and also the two ovals "Explosion of the powder magazine" and "Siege of a castle" (Millon Paris 27.9.23 [1], see photos in details) already exhibited at the Circolo della Stampa in Milan. Finally, there are two paintings with naval battles from the Fondazione Cariparma (https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/opera/85958/).
The work is presented in an excellent state of preservation, facilitated by the copper support, completed by a valuable custom-made gilded frame, not coeval with the painting.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The painting is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
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