St. Mark the Evangelist

Oil on canvas
85 x 71 cm., framed 100 x 86 cm.

Of great character and excellent quality, this precious painting of the seventeenth century has as its subject Saint Mark the Evangelist, half-length portrait, in profile to the right, intent on tempering the quill. On the dark background you can see, on the right, a bookcase with several volumes, an inkwell and a cartouche, elements that allude to his role and the lion with the open Gospel, attributes of the Saint.

The Evangelist, with the features of a young man with a thick beard and hair, of strong expressive vigor, is dressed in a tunic highlighted by an intense red, covered on the shoulders by a blue cloak.

The iconography has its origins in the series of the four Evangelists created between 1615 and 1623 by Guercino commissioned by Cardinal Alessandro d'Este, brother of Duke Cesare d'Este, then sold in 1746 to Augustus III of Saxony and today to the Gemäldegalerie of Dresden.

Our canvas therefore shows its evident belonging to the narrow sphere of the Emilian master of the seventeenth century: the executive technique and stylistic features agree with those of a work that can still be dated to the first half of the seventeenth century, which manifests the characteristics of an artist of a narrow scope. Guercinesco, well informed about the pictorial novelties conceived by the master, and therefore presumably active in his prestigious workshop.

In our specific case, the independent typological characters correspond to those of Bartolomeo Gennari's painting (Conto, 1594 - Bologna, 1661), a painter constantly active alongside Barbieri.

Over the years of his enduring career Bartolomeo devoted himself steadily to the creation of works and derivations from Guercino's compositions, for this reason he is esteemed as one of the best official copyists of the master, who usually assigned him the replicas of his best inventions, sometimes intervening person to perfect them and make them difficult to distinguish from the paintings of total Guercinesque autograph.

The painting is completed with a beautiful wooden frame.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

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

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