Portrait Of A Child (alessandro Farnese?), Bartolomeo Schedoni (modena 1578 - Parma 1615)

Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 - Parma 1615) workshop of
Portrait of a child (Alessandro Farnese?)

First half 17th century

Oil on canvas (95 x 66 cm. - In frame 109 x 80)

Full details (click HERE)

This intense portrait of a young boy is an interesting workshop work by the Modenese painter Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 - Parma 1615), active from 1607 at the court of Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza.

It is in fact a detail extrapolated from a more articulated painting, ‘The Almsgiving of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary’ (1610-11)*, commissioned by the Farnese and executed by Schedoni in 1611. In the work, Elisabeth, Queen of Thuringia who lived in the 13th century and was known for her works of charity, is depicted in the act of giving alms to the needy.

Our little effigy, placed in the foreground in the original painting, is here the protagonist as she turns her gaze to the observer, with the aim of drawing his attention and arousing his involvement, according to an expedient that recurs frequently in Schedoni's paintings.

There is an interesting interpretation that would see the child as an allegory of the young first-born son Alessandro Farnese, (born on 5 September 1610, ten years after the marriage between Ranuccio and Margherita Aldobrandini), given that on the occasion of the birth, the ducal couple organised celebrations and alms-giving for many days.

The painting would therefore have been commissioned as a votive offering in thanksgiving for the birth of their son: the infant wears a yellow and blue jacket, an obvious reference to the Duchy of Parma, while the white petticoat and the red cord, which fastens the clothing, would indicate the intervention of Saint Elisabeth, a Franciscan allegory of charity, who intercedes at the birth of the child.

This could also be an apt interpretation in relation to the depiction of the child, certainly not a beggar or an orphan, given his fine and delicate appearance, the care of his robes, his neatly combed blond hair and perfect feet, as well as the regal bearing and proud gaze with which he looks at us intently.

Given the excellent quality of execution, the proposed work could be by an artist from Bartolomeo Schedoni's workshop, capable of fully reproducing his style and quality. The magic of the painting and the use of light and colours, with chiaroscuro effects that accentuate its three-dimensionality, in full Baroque style, take us back to the ability to create that atmosphere with an almost metaphysical effect that made Schedoni a master of the highest level.

*Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 - Parma 1615)
Elemosina of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Naples - Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an antique frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

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