Lot 3411 - A202 Old Master Drawings - Friday, 23. September 2022, 11.00 AM
CESARE FRANCHI called IL POLLINO
(Perugia, circa 1555–1595 Rome)
Sacra Conversazione with Saint Jerome, the young John the Baptist and numerous other saints.
Gouache and gold paint on vellum, laid on backing board.
15 x 11 cm. Framed.
Little is known about the highly original Italian painter and miniaturist Cesare Franchi. The exact dates of his birth and death are not certain and his educational background has also remained unexplained. Only a small corpus of works can be attributed to the in many respects still enigmatic personality of the artist, who was probably executed for murder in 1595. But above all, the few surviving miniatures, most of which are now kept in Perugia, Galleria Nazionale dell' Umbria, surpass most of his contemporaries in terms of inventiveness, intensity and virtuoso execution. - Our thanks to Dr Luca Baroni (PhD candidate, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa) for confirming the attribution on the basis of a photograph.
Literature:
- Compare: Duccio K. Marignoli et al., Cesare Franchi detto il Pollino. Miniatore (Perugia 1555 circa - 1595). Catalog and monograph, Editoriale Artemide, Rome, 2020.
CHF 8 000 / 12 000 | (€ 8 250 / 12 370)
Sold for CHF 9 500 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.