Francesco Maffei (vicenza, 1605 - Padua, 1660), The Annunciation

Francesco Maffei (Vicenza, about 1605 - Padua, 1660)
The Annunciation

Oil painting on canvas
cm. 118 x 97 cm. - with antique frame 139 x 116 cm.
The work is accompanied by a critical study drawn up by prof. Emilio Negro (Bologna)

All the details relating to this painting can be viewed at the following - link -

The superb annunciation proposed is a valuable work with an effective and engaging devotional intensity which, also thanks to its large size, is able to involve and fascinate the viewer.
It has a rather consolidated iconographic scheme, with the Archangel Gabriel on the right, of an ethereal beauty, who appears imperiously as he offers the Virgin Mary the supreme proclamation; suspended in flight, with one hand he holds the white lilies, a symbol of purity and chastity, while the other indicates the dove radiated with light, emblem of the Holy Spirit, surrounded by small angelic figures in the clouds full of intense flashes and games of light, in full Baroque style.

The work is perfectly ascribed to the Venetian pictorial current of the seventeenth century, an extraordinarily happy artistic period which, especially in the wake of the illustrious artists of the previous century, saw a succession of leading artistic personalities.

Going into the detail of the stylistic and compositional characteristics, it is a magnificent work by the painter Francesco Maffei (Vicenza, about 1605 - Padua, 1660), a leading name in the Venetian artistic panorama, whose first pictorial training took place in the Vicenza school of Alessandro Maganza, and then moved to Venice; his pictorial imprint is completed with the study of the great painters of the Venetian Renaissance tradition of the sixteenth century, such as Jacopo Bassano, Tintoretto and Paolo Veronese.

Thanks to the lessons of these authors, Maffei will be able to evolve his art with a fully Baroque language, in which his very personal formal and chromatic interpretation, whimsical and fantastic, was also able to draw on the knowledge of the works of foreign artists known in Venice during their stay in the lagoon. around 1638-40.

Among the most influential names we can mention Domenico Fetti and Jan Liss, but the examples of Bernardo Strozzi were of considerable importance for his education. The types of faces and their expressiveness, the way in which he describes the mouths and the cut of the eyes refer to the style of the Genoese master. Also the chromatic choices, of Veronesian derivation, and the strong luministic contrasts demonstrate the contact with these painters, especially in the contrasts generated by the combination of warm and cold colors.

Finally, the compositional choice built on a pyramidal structure generated by the position of the protagonists' bodies and animated by eloquent gestures, favoring a narrative with a strong theatrical impact, typical of the painter's repertoire, deserves mention. The detail of the Virgin's lectern is highly expressive, made with a particular carving featuring two winged female figures with bare breasts, as well as the skill with which the drapery of the robes, especially of the angel, were rendered.

Good storage conditions.

The painting is sold together with a pleasant antique non-coeval frame on which there are slight deficiencies dictated by the time.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.
We take care and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.
It is also possible to see the painting in the Riva del Garda gallery, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.

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