Sassoferrato
, Italian, 1609-1685
Title
The Virgin and Child Seated in CloudsDate1650s
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
104 x 75 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1873
Object numberNGI.93
DescriptionWith the exception of the four charming cherubs at the top of the canvas, the composition of this picture is derived from Raphael’s famous Madonna of Foligno, now housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana. However, the figures are reversed from the original, which demonstrates that Sassoferrato did not copy directly from the painting but from an engraving made by Marcantonio Raimondi. Sassoferrato was nicknamed after his birthplace, a small town in central Italy. His art is characterised by a brilliant palette of saturated, translucent colours, which he employed in compositions that were inspired by the great Italian masters of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, or by the works of some of his famous contemporary classical artists. During his long career, the artist painted numerous versions of this subject, often repeating the most successful or adding small variations. Although his paintings were once seen as excessively sentimental, today they are appreciated for their polished beauty and purity of modelling.
ProvenancePurchased, Signor Bastini, Milan, 1873 Exhibition HistoryG. Battista Salvi 'Il Sassoferrato', Church of San Francesco, Urbino, 19 June - 14 October 1990
Label TextSassoferrato was nicknamed after his birthplace, a small town in central Italy. He was a skilled copyist, often adapting and reusing elements from other artworks. The figures of the Virgin and Child in this painting are derived from Raphael’s famous Madonna of Foligno, housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Rome. However, Sassoferrato reversed the figures, which demonstrates that he did not copy directly from the painting but from an engraving made by Marcantonio Raimondi. The artist’s brilliant palette of saturated, translucent colours is showcased in this work.