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

Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 – Parma 1615), workshop of
Portrait of a Child (Alessandro Farnese?)

First half of the 17th century

Oil on canvas (95 x 66 cm. – Framed 109 x 80)

Full details (click HERE)

This intense portrait of a young boy appears to be an interesting work from the workshop of the Modena painter Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 – Parma 1615), who was active from 1607 at the court of Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza.
It is, in fact, a detail taken from a larger painting, *The Almsgiving of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary* (1610–11)*, commissioned by the Farnese family and executed by Schedoni in 1611: In the work, Elizabeth, Queen of Thuringia—who lived in the 13th century and was known for her charitable deeds—is depicted in the act of bestowing alms upon the needy.
The young boy depicted here, who appears in the foreground of the original painting, takes center stage as he looks directly at the viewer, aiming to capture their attention and engage them—a device frequently employed in Schedoni’s paintings.
An interesting interpretation views the child as an allegory of the young eldest son, Alessandro Farnese (born on September 5, 1610, ten years after the marriage of Ranuccio and Margherita Aldobrandini), given that upon his birth, the ducal couple organized celebrations and distributed alms for many days.
The painting was therefore likely commissioned as an ex-voto in thanksgiving for the birth of their son: the infant wears a jacket in yellow and blue, a clear reference to the Duchy of Parma, while the white undershirt and the red cord securing his clothes would indicate the intervention of Saint Elizabeth, the Franciscan allegory of charity, who intercedes at the child’s birth.
This could also be an apt interpretation in light of the child’s depiction—certainly not a beggar or an orphan, given his refined and delicate appearance, the care taken with his garments, his combed blond hair and perfect little feet, as well as his regal bearing and the proud gaze with which he looks intently at us.
Given the exceptional quality of the execution, the work in question may 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 color, with chiaroscuro effects that accentuate its three-dimensionality, in full Baroque style, remind us of the ability to create that almost metaphysical atmosphere that made Schedoni a master of the highest order.
*Bartolomeo Schedoni (Modena 1578 – Parma 1615)
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Giving Alms
Naples - Capodimonte Museum and Royal Park




ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an antique frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

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