Benvenuto Tisi, il Garofalo (Garofalo, Rovigo 1476 - Ferrara 1559)
workshop/follower

Madonna with Child and Saint Joseph

Oil on canvas

125 x 90 cm
In frame 143 x 109 cm.

In a Renaissance-style architectural setting, we see the Virgin with Child and Saint Joseph, a subject known in art as the “Holy Family”, a recurring theme in Christian art, symbolising maternal love, divine protection and the importance of the family as a model of life.

Works with this subject, usually commissioned for churches or private collections, were therefore the subject of countless depictions over the centuries, such as the one we are presenting, executed in oil on canvas and dating from between the 16th and 17th centuries, which reproduces the fresco dated 1525 by Benvenuto Tisi, known as Garofalo (c. 1476 - 1559) for the Certosa di Ferrara, now preserved in the Museum of Montecassino.

A painter of Venetian origin and belonging to the Ferrara school, Garofalo was an Italian Renaissance painter known for his elegant and colourful painting, influenced by Raphael and the Roman and Venetian schools.

He painted numerous versions of the Holy Family, often accompanied by his workshop, similar to this one or with variations, some of which are now preserved in important collections: among these we can mention the one in the Borghese Gallery in Rome, the Vatican Pinacoteca, or the Doria Pamphilj Gallery, also in Rome.

The Virgin, portrayed in a refined, regal pose, has a delicate, youthful face that gazes intently at the viewer, with a rosy complexion framed by long blonde hair, and highlighted by the blue of her cloak and the red of her robe, while behind her is Saint Joseph, also with youthful features, wearing a red robe and a dark cloak, standing apart and resting while watching over the mother and child.

Our canvas fully embodies the principle of classicism to which Garofalo was very devoted, both in the plasticity of the composition and in the architecture in which the human figures are placed.

There is, in fact, much of the late 15th-century school in this sacred narrative, which denotes the painter's great admiration for the great painters of the 15th and 16th centuries, whose brilliant colours and figures he reproduces in his work: the central figure of the Madonna has a Raphaelesque face, in a Michelangelesque pose, pyramidal in shape, filling the centre of the scene.

Finally, the view opening up on the left is beautiful, framed by the pink hues of the sky, with a village perched on a wooded hill, which we often find in his works.

Observing the pictorial composition, which is similar to the style of Giorgio Vasari, a friend of the Padanian painter, we can easily attribute the work to a member of Garofalo's workshop or to a follower active shortly afterwards. Given the high quality of the works that have come down to us, especially those with religious themes, it is easy to imagine that a large number of pupils gravitated towards his workshop.

The work is in good condition with some restoration and repainting of the pictorial layer.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold complete with a pleasant gilded frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

It is also possible to view the painting in our gallery in Riva del Garda, where we would be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of works.

Please contact us, without obligation, for any further information.

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