An example of Carlo Dolci's painting sales in 2018:
Saint Agatha
oil on canvas
5 July 2018
Christie's
£248,750
US$328,897
Realized price
Artwork Info
Painting
50.1 x 68.3 cm
50.1 x 68.3 cm
Auction Sale
5 July 2018
Christie's
Christie's
CARLO DOLCI
(Florence, 1616 - 1686)
Madonna in Prayer
Oil on canvas, 25 x 20.8 cm
NOTES: Catalogue edition of works from the Intermidiart collection. Certificate of Guarantee and Legal Origin. Unsigned work. Certificate of legal origin. Unframed work:
A magnificent antique painting, oil on canvas, depicting a praying Madonna. Arguably, the subject of the Madonna is one of the most popular iconographies throughout the history of both Western and Eastern art, much more commonly represented through the iconographic motif of the Madonna and Child. The Madonna has been appearing since the dawn of medieval painting and has remained a constant theme as long as religious motifs dominated artistic production (i.e., until the 19th century, when motifs inspired by everyday life began to be introduced).
It is a worthwhile work, exhibiting stylistic features typical of Tuscan, and more specifically Florentine, painting, which made it one of the most popular schools in the rich panorama of the Italian Baroque.
Going into attribution detail, the similarities with the works of the master Carlo Dolci (Florence) are evident, although not comparable to the master's work, so much so that the execution can be traced back to an imitator - active in the following centuries - not without talent.
Carlo Dolci was born in Florence on April 25, 1616, and died there on January 17, 1686. A pupil of Jacopo Vignali, he showed rare precocious development, painting several heads of saints at the age of eleven, and at sixteen painted a careful portrait of Bardi (Florence, Pitti ) and another by Fr. Ainolfo dé Bardi (with Count Bardi) of admirable breadth and readiness. Devoting himself to religious painting, especially in chambers or domestic chapels, he preferred the object of piety and executed weeping Madonnas, saints and saints, in busts and half-length, melodramatic scenes of martyrdom, devoting himself entirely to fine details and languid nuances , and a caressing softness, almost as a reaction to the artistry introduced by the Sustermans; he used a vague and sweet color, but with bluish shadows in the flesh, which he derived from Vignali. Hence the fame, maintained almost to the present day, but surpassing his artistic value, except for a few other very valuable portraits, such as those of Vittoria della Rovere (Florence, Pitti) and Sir Thomas Baines (Finch's landlord in Burley-on-the-Hill), the famous physicist who accompanied the ambassador Sir John Finch to Florence. He always lived in his homeland, despite repeated invitations to attend foreign courts; and it wasn't until 1672 that he was persuaded to go to Innsbruck for a few months to play the role of Claudia Felicity, the nephew of Cosimo II de 'Medici, who was to marry the Emperor. Completely devoted to religious practices, he painted countless paintings, assisted by his daughter Agnese and numerous students, who repeated the compositions in replicas scattered everywhere and making it difficult to distinguish the master's work from the workshop.
The very rigorous composition takes the form of a pyramid, but the softness of light and a certain sentimentality are typical of Dolci's art. In terms of composition, the image of the Madonna occupies the entire space, leaving little to the neutral background, represented here in three-quarters and halves. In fact, the virgin is immortalized with her hands folded in the act of devotion and her gaze turned upward, giving an image of extraordinary emotional tenderness, accentuated by the direction of the light, which emphasizes her porcelain complexion. the chromatic detachment of her dress and Sienna's intense coat.
Selected on an exclusive chromatic range rich in precious enamel effects, accentuated by suggestions of magnetic and vibrant transitions of light and shadow, the work depicts a religious scene explored with poetic interpretive sensitivity and formulated with descriptive meticulousness of detail and stunning vigor of hue.
From a formal point of view, the work is very well done. This is because the performance artist shows that he has a refined technique that allows him to achieve a natural rendering of the subject, indicating a way of painting still associated with the Tuscan school of the 17th century.
The painting in question is well executed, with good workmanship, characterized by bright drawing and vivid chromaticism. The lines are emphasized by the vigorous drawing, with a rather pronounced play of light and dark. Looking closely at the details, one is delighted by the workmanship of this charming piece, from which the vibrancy of the colors, attention and descriptive precision emerge, like the exquisite details of the nails of the nailed Virgin Mary. The accentuated descriptivism distinguishes the paintings by their fineness of detail, described with analytical mastery and figurative precision to the point where they can be compared - to a careful study of attribution - to the hand of a talented painter, not excluding - in the case of dating the work - next to a teacher.
The state of preservation of the canvas is quite good, and the painting surface is covered with patina. There are a few repaints, especially in the background, where it is very busy, and there are drops of color on the sides of the canvas (see photo). All in all, there are no conservation problems and it seems to require no further intervention. The dimensions of the canvas are cm. 25 x 20.8. The painting is sold without a frame, although it is framed in a new perforated and gilded frame (dimensions approx. 47.5 x 43 x 6 cm).
ORIGIN: private collection
(Florence, 1616 - 1686)
Madonna in Prayer
Oil on canvas, 25 x 20.8 cm
NOTES: Catalogue edition of works from the Intermidiart collection. Certificate of Guarantee and Legal Origin. Unsigned work. Certificate of legal origin. Unframed work:
A magnificent antique painting, oil on canvas, depicting a praying Madonna. Arguably, the subject of the Madonna is one of the most popular iconographies throughout the history of both Western and Eastern art, much more commonly represented through the iconographic motif of the Madonna and Child. The Madonna has been appearing since the dawn of medieval painting and has remained a constant theme as long as religious motifs dominated artistic production (i.e., until the 19th century, when motifs inspired by everyday life began to be introduced).
It is a worthwhile work, exhibiting stylistic features typical of Tuscan, and more specifically Florentine, painting, which made it one of the most popular schools in the rich panorama of the Italian Baroque.
Going into attribution detail, the similarities with the works of the master Carlo Dolci (Florence) are evident, although not comparable to the master's work, so much so that the execution can be traced back to an imitator - active in the following centuries - not without talent.
Carlo Dolci was born in Florence on April 25, 1616, and died there on January 17, 1686. A pupil of Jacopo Vignali, he showed rare precocious development, painting several heads of saints at the age of eleven, and at sixteen painted a careful portrait of Bardi (Florence, Pitti ) and another by Fr. Ainolfo dé Bardi (with Count Bardi) of admirable breadth and readiness. Devoting himself to religious painting, especially in chambers or domestic chapels, he preferred the object of piety and executed weeping Madonnas, saints and saints, in busts and half-length, melodramatic scenes of martyrdom, devoting himself entirely to fine details and languid nuances , and a caressing softness, almost as a reaction to the artistry introduced by the Sustermans; he used a vague and sweet color, but with bluish shadows in the flesh, which he derived from Vignali. Hence the fame, maintained almost to the present day, but surpassing his artistic value, except for a few other very valuable portraits, such as those of Vittoria della Rovere (Florence, Pitti) and Sir Thomas Baines (Finch's landlord in Burley-on-the-Hill), the famous physicist who accompanied the ambassador Sir John Finch to Florence. He always lived in his homeland, despite repeated invitations to attend foreign courts; and it wasn't until 1672 that he was persuaded to go to Innsbruck for a few months to play the role of Claudia Felicity, the nephew of Cosimo II de 'Medici, who was to marry the Emperor. Completely devoted to religious practices, he painted countless paintings, assisted by his daughter Agnese and numerous students, who repeated the compositions in replicas scattered everywhere and making it difficult to distinguish the master's work from the workshop.
The very rigorous composition takes the form of a pyramid, but the softness of light and a certain sentimentality are typical of Dolci's art. In terms of composition, the image of the Madonna occupies the entire space, leaving little to the neutral background, represented here in three-quarters and halves. In fact, the virgin is immortalized with her hands folded in the act of devotion and her gaze turned upward, giving an image of extraordinary emotional tenderness, accentuated by the direction of the light, which emphasizes her porcelain complexion. the chromatic detachment of her dress and Sienna's intense coat.
Selected on an exclusive chromatic range rich in precious enamel effects, accentuated by suggestions of magnetic and vibrant transitions of light and shadow, the work depicts a religious scene explored with poetic interpretive sensitivity and formulated with descriptive meticulousness of detail and stunning vigor of hue.
From a formal point of view, the work is very well done. This is because the performance artist shows that he has a refined technique that allows him to achieve a natural rendering of the subject, indicating a way of painting still associated with the Tuscan school of the 17th century.
The painting in question is well executed, with good workmanship, characterized by bright drawing and vivid chromaticism. The lines are emphasized by the vigorous drawing, with a rather pronounced play of light and dark. Looking closely at the details, one is delighted by the workmanship of this charming piece, from which the vibrancy of the colors, attention and descriptive precision emerge, like the exquisite details of the nails of the nailed Virgin Mary. The accentuated descriptivism distinguishes the paintings by their fineness of detail, described with analytical mastery and figurative precision to the point where they can be compared - to a careful study of attribution - to the hand of a talented painter, not excluding - in the case of dating the work - next to a teacher.
The state of preservation of the canvas is quite good, and the painting surface is covered with patina. There are a few repaints, especially in the background, where it is very busy, and there are drops of color on the sides of the canvas (see photo). All in all, there are no conservation problems and it seems to require no further intervention. The dimensions of the canvas are cm. 25 x 20.8. The painting is sold without a frame, although it is framed in a new perforated and gilded frame (dimensions approx. 47.5 x 43 x 6 cm).
ORIGIN: private collection
