Property from the Estate of Ramon Osuna

Attributed to Paolo Guidotti, called Il Cavaliere Borghese (Lucca 1560-Rome 1629)

Cain and Abel

Details

Attributed to Paolo Guidotti, called Il Cavaliere Borghese (Lucca 1560-Rome 1629)
Cain and Abel
oil on panel
28 7/8 x 42 in. (73.4 x 106.7 cm.)

Provenance

Private collection, South of France.
Anonymous sale; Monte Carlo, 1986, as by a Dutch painter, circa 1600.

Literature

J.A. Lewis, 'Old masters at Osuna', The Washington Post, 7 March 1987.
The Washington Post, 28 May 2016.
M. Nicolaci, 'Aggiornamenti e nuove proposte per Paolo Borghese Guidotti tra Roma e Lucca', in Artisti e committenti lucchesi del Seicento a Roma, Milan, 2018, pp. 44-45, fig. 25, as 'Paolo Giudotti (?)'.

Brought to you by

François de Poortere

fdepoortere@christies.com +1 212 636 2469

Lot Essay

Previously given to Annibale Carracci by Dr. Stephen Pepper (J. A. Lewis, loc. cit.), this dynamic composition showing the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain, has been tentatively reattributed to the Caravaggesque artist, Paolo Guidotti by Dr. Michele Nicolaci (loc. cit.). Guidotti was an accomplished painter, architect, poet and sculptor. He received the title of cavaliere and the appellation 'Borghese' from Pope Paul V Borghese, soon after completing an ambitious six-figure sculptural group for Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Scant records survive documenting his paintings and today very few are given to the artist in full. The present work exhibits stylistic and compositional parallels with Jacob’s Dream, previously in a private collection, Rome, which was given to Guidotti by Federico Zeri in 1987.

More from Old Master Paintings and Sculpture

View All