Ancient Pair Of Paintings - Genre Scenes - Camillo Sagrestani (florence 1660-1731)

Important pair of paintings, oil on canvas technique -
Early 18th century period
Author Camillo Sagrestani (Florence 1660- 1731)-
Size 94x75
This work, of excellent quality, depicting genre scenes, is set in a nocturnal atmosphere full of pathos but refined, with a dark background irradiated by some glimpses of sunset light.
The brightness, which envelops the characters in a skilful chiaroscuro, as well as the use of intense colour, capable of building a scene full of energy.
Observing the works and examining their attributive placement, the particular characteristics connect their origin to the happiest production of the late Tuscan Baroque; in particular, the stylistic and pictorial traits allow us to compare it to the hand of Giovanni Camillo Sagrestani (1660-1731), one of the most intriguing and charismatic artistic figures in the Tuscan artistic pantheon of the seventeenth century.
The style presents the painter's peculiar effects of light and chromaticism, influenced by the examples of Luca Giordano, Giuseppe Maria Crespi and Sebastiano Ricci learned during his stays between Rome, Bologna and Venice at the beginning of the ninth decade, revealing himself to be an important personality of the late baroque.
Giovanni Camillo Sagrestani (Florence, 15 December 1660 – Florence, 7 May 1731)-
He trained in Florence under Antonio Giusti and Romolo Panfi, then traveled to Parma, Rome, Venice and Bologna, where he entered the workshop of Carlo Cignani who influenced his style.

In 1690 he returned to Florence and in '94 he enrolled in the Accademia del Disegno, becoming close to some anti-academics such as Alessandro Gherardini and Pier Dandini. Starting from these assumptions, with the example of the French Baroque and the works of Luca Giordano, he carried out an innovative painting, in contrast with the Florentine drawing tradition, made up of quick touches and splashes of colour.

His first dated works date back to 1720 (fresco and altarpiece in the chapel of Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi in San Frediano in Cestello), although eight canvases with Life of the Virgin in Santa Maria de' Ricci can be attributed to him as early as 1707 in Florence.

Four canvases attributed to Sagrestani are found in the church of Santa Maria della Fraternità in Foiano della Chiana. Other of his works are found in the Church of San Frediano in Cestello in Florence. Other works attributed to Sagrestani are found in the church of the Santissima Annunziata in San Giovanni Valdarno. An Assumption of the Virgin is located in Nancy, France, in the Musée des Beaux-Arts[1]. A Coronation of Mary Assumption into Heaven with St. Thomas Aquinas is set in the coffered ceiling of the church of the Santissimo Sacramento in Portoferraio.