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Lot Essay
The prototype for this celebrated composition by Maratta would seem to be in the Museo Borgogna, Vercelli. It proved to be one of the artist's most popular images and many versions were produced by his workshop, some with slight variations, the most common being the omission of Saint John the Baptist from the left of the picture.
After the death of Bernini in 1680, Maratta became the most important artist in Rome, and he presided over the largest and most influential workshop since the Caracci. This studio production is particularly noteworthy for the pose of the Christ Child, the position of whose legs are inverted in relation to the Vercelli picture. This might suggest that the studio were making use of an engraving of the picture, printed in reverse, to make slight alterations to this famous image. In this case the other compositional elements of the picture, the position of the main body of Christ, the angels' heads and the Baptist, are all identical to the Vercelli picture.
After the death of Bernini in 1680, Maratta became the most important artist in Rome, and he presided over the largest and most influential workshop since the Caracci. This studio production is particularly noteworthy for the pose of the Christ Child, the position of whose legs are inverted in relation to the Vercelli picture. This might suggest that the studio were making use of an engraving of the picture, printed in reverse, to make slight alterations to this famous image. In this case the other compositional elements of the picture, the position of the main body of Christ, the angels' heads and the Baptist, are all identical to the Vercelli picture.