Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766)

Corrado Giaquinto (Molfetta 1703 - Naples 1766)
Dead Christ
oil on canvas.
99 x 135 cm

Provenance: formerly Farsetti 08/11/1998 lot. n. 450

The painting, of very high quality, was recognized by Federico Zeri (written communication) as an autograph by Giaquinto and a probable preparatory study for the "Trinity" frescoed in the vault of the church of San Giovanni Calibita in Rome, on the Tiber Island: the models final pieces of the composition are found in the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia and in the Municipal Art Gallery of Montefartino in the province of Ascoli Piceno. Therefore our canvas should be dated, again according to Zeri, to the time of the works in San Giovanni Calibita, between 1740 and 1772. Christ was depicted after the deposition from the Cross lying on a bed, and in the dim light, below and on the right, there is a little angel with a Nail of the Cross, while on the left placed in an alms tray, the Certiglio, the Crown of Thorns, and the other Nails, symbols of the Passion. The body appears entirely pervaded by a silvery-golden light like the Giaquinto often does. The composition is inserted in an oval, although the canvas is rectangular. Compared to the two models of Perugia and Montefortino, both round canvases with a diameter of cm. 60, which present Christ lying with God the Father, the Dove of the Holy Spirit and two Angels, which repeat - despite some variations in the drapery and color tone - essentially the same design, our painting seems to be a previous preparatory study, with a different body position.

For comparisons see: AA. VV. "Giaquinto. Masterpieces of the Courts in Europe", exhibition catalogue, Bari, 1993, for the two models of Perugia and Montefortino see nos. 11 and 12, pp. 138-141; Pietro Amato, “Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766), Proceedings of the II International Study Conference”, Molfetta (Messina), 1985.

Written communication from Federico Zeri, dated 30 October 1997.