The Announcing Angel

Oil on canvas

75 x 62 cm.

Antique gilded wooden frame 87 x 74 cm.

The work on offer, characterized by a refined sacredness, depicts the Archangel Gabriel as he is about to deliver the supreme announcement to the Virgin, offering her the traditional white lilies, a symbol of purity and chastity: it is a splendid subject, executed with great stylistic quality, likely commissioned for private use and therefore particularly pleasing and easy to display.

The Angel takes the form of a young man of rare beauty, with delicate features, wrapped in a precious robe with soft drapery, all marked by an intense classicism, where a balanced composition directs the viewer’s attention to his face.

The painting is attributed to the Baroque painter Lucrina Fetti, born Giustina Fetti (Rome, c. 1590 – Mantua, c. 1673), the younger sister and pupil of the better-known painter Domenico Fetti, from whom she learned the secrets of the craft in their father’s workshop in Rome, and who later became a painter at the court of the Gonzagas in Mantua.

The artist’s style is influenced by theatrical painting, rich in chiaroscuro contrasts and the brilliant colors typical of the Baroque style—all characteristics inherited from her brother. The depiction of our angel also features the recurring facial traits of her religious figures: full cheeks, small but full lips, and an intense gaze.

Her artistic development was strongly shaped both by her Roman family upbringing and by her long-standing devotional work at the court in 17th-century Mantua, carried out within the convent of Sant’Orsola, where she carved out a role of great cultural and social prestige.

The delicate features of the angel’s face, depicted here in a three-quarter view, exemplify the grace of the painter’s models and can be found in works such as the Archangel Gabriel (ref. 1) or the Annunciation (ref. 2), both part of the collection of the Museo di Palazzo Ducale in Mantua.

Known for her altarpieces and her marvelous sacred paintings, Fetti’s mastery also extends to the field of portraiture, an aspect we can observe in our angel as well, who appears as a delightful young girl, adhering to those still-Renaissance ideals whereby the ideal of beauty and perfection was identified with the female face. In this regard, compare the face of our angel with that of Saint Barbara (ref. 3, Claudio Strinati Collection, Rome): the comparison of the features of the two figures, which are nearly identical—especially in the detail of the swollen lower eyelid evoking emotion—is an element that supports the attribution hypothesis (see the comparative detail of the two works in the published photos).

 

(ref.1) Archangel Gabriel of the Annunciation, Lucrina Fetti, Mantua, Palazzo Ducale Museum

 

(ref.2) Annunciation, Lucrina Fetti, Palazzo Ducale in Mantua

 

(ref.3) Saint Barbara (Claudio Strinati Collection, Rome; originally from the Church of Saint Ursula, Mantua)

The work appears to be in good condition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an attractive frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We handle and arrange the transport of purchased works, both within Italy and internationally, using professional and insured carriers.

If you would like to view this or other works in person, we would be delighted to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, located at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!

Please contact us for any information or to arrange a visit; we will be happy to assist you.

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