187 - Stefano Maria Legnani, known as “il Legnanino” (Milan, 1661–1713), from the workshop of

Stefano Maria Legnani, known as “il Legnanino” (Milan, 1661–1713), from the workshop of St. Anthony of Padua and the Infant Jesus Oil on canvas 96.5 x 74.5 cm The painting, depicting the Child caressing the saint’s chin, is inspired by the work of Carlo Francesco Nuvolone housed in the painting collection of the Pinacoteca del Castello Sforzesco; see: https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/opere-arte/schede/B0020-00344/ While the face of the Child—whose distinctive features suggest this attribution—appears in many of Legnanino’s works, among them *Saint Joseph with the Child* from the Pinacoteca di Brera (on loan to the Church of San Giorgio in Carimate), where the same locks of hair are repeated identically Little is known about Stefano Maria Legnani’s early years; he likely received his training within the family, given that his father and grandfather were painters. The hypothesis, previously put forward by P. A. Orlandi, that he served an apprenticeship in Bologna under Carlo Cignani, followed by further training in Carlo Maratta’s workshop in Rome, seems plausible. With regard to his Bolognese period, it is evident that Legnanino’s style is rooted in the Emilian tradition, drawing particularly on both Correggio and Cignani, yet personalized with a light, sinuous painterly rendering in keeping with the grace of the Rococo style. In 1687, he arrived in Milan, where he gained admiration for his frescoes, which clearly drew on Correggio’s style. In 1694, he traveled to Turin, where he worked with the assistance of his brother Tommaso and Giovanni Battista and Gerolamo Grandi. Although many Genoese painters were active in the Savoy capital—including Domenico Piola, Bartolomeo Guidobono, and Gregorio De Ferrari—he remained unaffected by their influence. In 1695, he was commissioned to paint frescoes in the new palace of the Prince of Carignano, Emanuele Filiberto Amedeo of Savoy, a project that kept him busy for eight years. He subsequently divided his time between commissions in Piedmont and Lombardy. Parma School of the 17th/18th century St. Anthony of Padua and the Infant Jesus Oil on canvas 96.5 x 74.5 cm