Beschreibung:

After Pietro Perugino (Italian, 1446/52-1523) "Detail of the Bust of Madonna from 'Madonna and Child Enthroned Between St. John the Baptist and St. Sebastian'", 1493 oil and gold leaf on wood panel presented in a Renaissance-style carved giltwood altar frame composed of antique elements. 10-1/2" x 7-1/2", framed 24" x 21" x 5" Provenance: Private collection, New Orleans, Louisiana; purchased in Florence, Italy. Notes: This beautiful painting ensconced in an impressive tabernacle frame exemplifies Grand Tour devotional work. Copied after High Renaissance masters, notably Raphael - the pupil of Perugino, these works were designed as personal altarpieces for wealthy tourists, combining the virtuoso of classical architecture with religious humanism. The post and lintel symmetry created through pilasters and scrollwork reflect the clarity of form and color achieved through unione - the soft modeling of rich colors harmonized by the blend of the gold leaf into the golden hue of Madonna's skin. According to the Uffizi Gallery, where the original painting is conserved, this work was commissioned by the widow and son of the Venetian merchant Giovanni Martini for the newly restored chapel of the convent of San Domenico in Fiesole. The figure of Madonna was modeled by the artist's wife - Chiara, the daughter of the architect Luca Fancelli Purchased in 1786 by Peter Leopold, Grand Duke of Tuscany, for the Uffizi Gallery, which he opened to the public in 1769, Perugino's painting would have been widely visible near the turn of the 18th/19th century, inspiring additional studies, commissions and copies.