927 - Italy

Italy 166 x 91,5 cm The enthroned Virgin with Child. Oil/canvas, relined. On the Cartellino on the throne base inscribed "BARTHOLOMEUS/MONTAGNA (...)", verso on the stretcher two old wax seals, one crowned, one with a cardinal's hat and two old labels with the artist's name and collection number. Aedicula frame. Maria and Erwin Ziegler Colllection, Pforzheim. According to an old statement before 1965 Collection Alfred S. Karlsen, Beverly Hills. With two old expert reports by Rodolfo Pallucchini and Giuseppe Fiocco in handwriting. In contrast, the painting is archived in the Archivio Zeri under no. 112827 (inv. no. 170382) as an anonymous forgery in the Venetian style of the 15th century. According to the information there, a handwritten post-it by Federico Zeri ‘B. Montagna/copia o falso?/firma falsa’ can be found on the reverse of the photograph. (B. Montagna/Copy or forgery?/False signature).