Madonna in Glory Surrounded by Angels

Oil on panel

48 x 37 cm.

With frame: 68 x 57 cm.

We are pleased to present in our gallery this splendid painting, of refined taste and artistic merit, depicting the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception in Glory among Angels.

The stylistic characteristics of the painting clearly point to a painter of Tuscan origin working in the second half of the sixteenth century and adhering to the refined stylistic elements of Florentine Mannerism: in particular, we are inclined to attribute the work to Giovanni Balducci, known as Il Cosci (Florence, 1560 – Naples, after 1631).

He trained in the workshop of Giovanni Battista Naldini, thereby reflecting the influence of Giorgio Vasari and late Florentine Mannerism; however, as we can infer from the work in question, his style avoids the virtuosic excesses of early Mannerism in favour of greater composure and formal rigour that reflected the religious dictates of the Council of Trent.

From 1575 to 1579, he collaborated with Federico Zuccari on the completion of the frescoes of the Last Judgement in Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. After spending three years in Rome, from 1577 to 1580, where he worked with his master on the decoration of the Altoviti Chapel in the Church of Trinità dei Monti, he returned to Florence, where he took part in the project led by Alessandro Allori for the decoration of the ceilings of the corridors on the top floor of the Uffizi.

Upon observing the panel and its details, one is struck by the quality of the execution, which reveals the vibrancy of the colours and a marked figurative precision, so much so that it can certainly be attributed to the hand of the painter, celebrated for his work and characterised by a balanced composition and a narrative vein that combines Florentine elegance with a religious austerity that anticipates the trends of the seventeenth century.

The master has placed the triumphant figure of the Virgin at the centre of the composition: statuesque, enveloped in clouds, depicted seated as if on a throne of clouds, her gaze turned towards the heavens.

Before her stands a jubilant host of angels and cherubs, as if enveloping her figure and lifting her upwards, whilst two of them hold aloft burning torches, bringing with them a rich symbolism linked to light, spiritual guidance and the passage between heaven and earth, symbolising the accompaniment of the soul or body ascending to heaven.

The lunette of light behind him is beautiful, its lower edge marked by the heads of cherubs, a device we also find in the ‘Christ in Glory among the Apostles and Saints’ at the Palmer Museum of Art in Pennsylvania, dating from around 1586, oil on panel.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

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

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

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

Please feel free to contact us for any further information.

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