1327 - LUCA GIORDANO

LUCA GIORDANO Madonna and Child, c. 1680 Oil on oval canvas, 80.5 x 64 cm; set in an old frame with an oval reserve. The sleeping Child is almost entirely covered by the Mother’s cloak, as she lovingly bends her upper body toward him. The painting is recognized as a masterpiece by Luca Giordano in the format—one he did not often use—of paintings for private devotion. Serving as a showcase for his admirable painterly skills, the work is characterized by the emphasis placed on the blue mantle, against which the skin tones and the Virgin’s veil “stand out” with sumptuous clarity. Two versions of the same theme—though always with variations—in the Girolamini Picture Gallery in Naples and the Gemäldegalerie in Dresden are comparable to this one but not quite as effective. In this case, the rounded contours of the Madonna’s face, the flowing brushwork, and the soft, slightly swelling chiaroscuro indicate that the artist had just completed his fundamental training in the style of Cortona, undertaken during his stay in Florence, the most mature fruits of which are found in the frescoes of the Gallery of Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Provenance: Formerly in the Lauro Collection, Bologna Bibliography: D. Benati, P. Giordani, *Stanze Bolognesi: La Collezione Lauro*, Milan, 1994, entry 60