LUIS DE VARGAS (attr. A)

(Almendralejo, 1505? - 1567) Christ with the Cross Oil on panel, 42X30 cm Provenance: Baron Raoul de Kuffner (1938) New York, Christie's, 15 May 1996, lot 107 (as Spanish School of the 16th century) Italy, private collection The Austro-Hungarian Baron Raoul Kuffner, collector and later in 1933 the consort of Tamara de Lempicka, was the owner of the work and we certainly know him in New York in 1943 where the painter continued her artistic activity. Lionello Venturi, on the other hand, after refusing to swear allegiance to Fascism in 1931, was confined to Lipari. On 3 January 1932 he left for the United States, taking advantage of an invitation to give a series of lectures at Harvard, before returning to Europe and residing in Paris. However, he returned to New York in 1939 when the Second World War broke out. During his years in America, Venturi was called upon to teach at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (1940), California (1941), Mexico City (1942) and the École libre des hautes études in New York (1943 - 1944), as well as giving lectures and courses in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and other American cities. We do not know when the painting was acquired by the Baron and it is presumed that it was sold at auction by his heirs. As far as attribution is concerned, the Spanish origin of the author is unequivocal, while the theme represented originates from the Christ carrying the Cross painted by Sebastiano del Piombo. The painter's stay in Rome between 1523 and 1653 is thus supported. The work is accompanied by an expert opinion written on 26 October 1942 in New York by Lionello Venturi. Reference bibliography: M. Perillo Marcone, L'esilio americano di Lionello Venturi, in L. Venturi, Art criticism now (1941), Turin 2010, pp. XV ; XC