88 - FOLLOWER OF AGOSTINO TASSI, 17TH CENTURY

FOLLOWER OF AGOSTINO TASSI, 17TH CENTURY Harbor Scene Oil on canvas Dimensions 115.3 x 161.5 cm A large harbor scene with a cove populated by boats, fishermen, and figures, presided over by a fortified structure and a mountainous landscape. The composition is notable for the animation of the figures, the atmospheric treatment of the sky and water, and the careful articulation of the landscape. The work was first presented on the French art market in the late 1990s, when it was attributed to François de Nomé, traditionally associated with the enigmatic Monsù Desiderio. Subsequent studies have distinguished his authorship from that of Didier Barra, both originally from Metz and active in Naples. The current attribution to the circle of Agostino Tassi is especially significant because of its connection with the development of port and marine scenes in early Italian painting, characterized by wide inlets, boats, architecture and groups of figures.