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Lot Essay
This newly discovered picture is almost certainly one of a group of four paintings that Guercino executed for Sig. Girolamo Panessi and entered into his account books on 29 August 1658 (loc. cit.). The commission comprised of 'La Madona Asunta' (whereabouts unknown), 'in Cielo la Santa Cecilia' (private collection, Naples), 'Santa Veronicha' (Banca Carige collection, see Denis Mahon, 'Un dipinto della "Santa Veronica" del Guercino nelle Collezioni d'Arte della Banca Carige', La Casana, 43, no. 3, 2001, pp. 16-19), and the present picture, 'il dauide'.
Sig. Panessi is recorded as paying 140 ducats for all four (excluding expenses and the cost of the frames). This was in line with the price Guercino normally charged for a half-length saint of small format (see for example the following item in Il libro dei conti, a picture of l'Astrologia, for Girolamo Ranuzzi, measuring 80.5 x 54 cm., which cost exactly 30 ducats). The group commissioned by Panessi seem to have been of similar size: both the Santa Cecilia and Santa Veronica measure 89 x 67.5 cm; while the present picture's dimensions are 84.2 x 66.7 cm.
Little is known of Girolamo Panessi (or Panesi), although he seems to have been a part-time art dealer, of Genoese origin, who was resident in Rome. He appears to have been on good terms with Guercino, for in addition to his commission of four pictures, he was also granted permission to acquire copies of other well-known works by the master, produced by the studio, which were in great demand at this time.
Sig. Panessi is recorded as paying 140 ducats for all four (excluding expenses and the cost of the frames). This was in line with the price Guercino normally charged for a half-length saint of small format (see for example the following item in Il libro dei conti, a picture of l'Astrologia, for Girolamo Ranuzzi, measuring 80.5 x 54 cm., which cost exactly 30 ducats). The group commissioned by Panessi seem to have been of similar size: both the Santa Cecilia and Santa Veronica measure 89 x 67.5 cm; while the present picture's dimensions are 84.2 x 66.7 cm.
Little is known of Girolamo Panessi (or Panesi), although he seems to have been a part-time art dealer, of Genoese origin, who was resident in Rome. He appears to have been on good terms with Guercino, for in addition to his commission of four pictures, he was also granted permission to acquire copies of other well-known works by the master, produced by the studio, which were in great demand at this time.
