GIOVANNI PIETRO RIZZOLI, CALLED IL GIAMPIETRINO (ACTIVE MILAN C.1495-1540)
GIOVANNI PIETRO RIZZOLI, CALLED IL GIAMPIETRINO (ACTIVE MILAN C.1495-1540)
GIOVANNI PIETRO RIZZOLI, CALLED IL GIAMPIETRINO (ACTIVE MILAN C.1495-1540)
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Property from a Private Collection, Europe
GIOVANNI PIETRO RIZZOLI, CALLED IL GIAMPIETRINO (ACTIVE MILAN C.1495-1540)

The Madonna and Child seated with Saint Jerome and the Archangel Michael

Details
GIOVANNI PIETRO RIZZOLI, CALLED IL GIAMPIETRINO (ACTIVE MILAN C.1495-1540)
The Madonna and Child seated with Saint Jerome and the Archangel Michael
oil on panel
22 ¾ x 26 in. (57.8 x 66 cm.)
with the red wax armorial seal of a prelate of the Ricci family (on the reverse of the panel, twice)
Provenance
(Probably) Bishop Francesco Ricci (1679-1755), subsequently cardinal (according to a seal on the reverse).
Stated to have been presented by Signora Bica to Pope Clement XI (Giovanni Franceso Albani, 1649-1721, elected 1700).
His nephew, Cardinal Alessandro Albani (1692-1779), by whom sold in 1726-7 as part of a larger group of pictures, in Rome, for 400 Roman crowns to,
Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort (1707-1746), and by descent at Badminton to his brother,
Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort (1709-1756) and by descent at Badminton to his great-great-grandson,
Henry Charles Fitzroy, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1824-1899), by whom sold anonymously; Christie's, London, 18 July 1895, lot 73, as 'L. da Vinci', 240 gns. to the following,
Harry Quilter (1851-1907), London; Christie's, London, 7 April 1906, lot 95, as L. da Vinci, 210 gns. to the following,
Henrik Loeffler, and by descent to the seller at the following,
Christie's, London, through whom acquired by private treaty, 8 August 2011.
Literature
O. Sitwell, 'The Red Folder-I', The Burlington Magazine, 80, 1942, p. 87.
J. Ingamells, A Dictionary of British and Irish Travellers in Italy, 1701-1800, New Haven and London, 1997, p. 68.
C. Quattrini, 'Giampietrino e l'eredità di Francesco Galli, orafo', Artes. Periodico annuale di storia dell'arte, XV, 2010-2015, pp. 69-71, fig. 2, note 33.
C. Geddo, 'Leonardeschi tra Lombardia ed Europa: i ‘Giampietrino’ della Mitteleuropa', Lombardia ed Europa Incroci di Storia e Cultura, D. Zardin ed., Milan, 2014, p. 99.
C. Quattrini, 'RIZZOLI, Giovanni Pietro, detto Giampietrino o Gianpietrino', Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, LXXXVII, 2016, p. 750.

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Lot Essay

Giampietrino is widely regarded for his role in disseminating the stylistic and technical innovations of Leonardo da Vinci in early sixteenth century Lombardy. While his identification with the "Gian Petro" mentioned in Leonardo’s Codex Atlanticus remains speculative, the substantial body of his work demonstrates an intimate knowledge of Leonardo’s techniques and compositions, particularly from the master’s second Milanese period (1508-1513).

This panel, datable to circa 1520, is among Giampietrino's most sophisticated compositions. The Leonardesque influence is particularly evident in the serene, idealized head of Saint Michael and the soft modeling of the Madonna’s features, while the Virgin's dynamic pose suggests awareness of Raphael’s compositional innovations. The luminosity and softness in the rendering of flesh and drapery recall the gentle sfumato and tender emotional tone of Bernardino Luini (C. Quattrini, op. cit., 2015). The meticulous attention to details, such as the intricate textures of the fabrics and the precise depiction of the lion's fur, reflect the technical finesse characteristic of Andrea Solario. Furthermore, the elaborate and dynamic interweaving of figures, particularly the torsion of the Virgin and the positioning of Saint Michael, align with the compositional complexity and spatial ingenuity seen in the works of Lorenzo Lotto (ibid.). A closely related but more conventional version of this subject, with the Madonna placed centrally, is held in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest (inv. no. 47; fig. 1). The Budapest composition, while stylistically similar, exhibits a less intricate arrangement.

Originally presented to Pope Clement XI, the painting entered the collection of his nephew, Cardinal Alessandro Albani, one of the foremost patrons and collectors of the eighteenth century. Albani facilitated its sale in 1726–1727 to Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, during the Duke’s Grand Tour. The acquisition is documented in the Duke’s meticulous purchase records, preserved in the "Red Folder" at Badminton House. Described as “Un Quadro di Leonardo da Vinci,” the painting was part of a group of works purchased from Albani for 400 crowns. The painting was shipped to England in 1728 as part of a consignment of ninety-nine cases dispatched via Livorno.

The painting subsequently passed by inheritance through the Beaufort family before being sold anonymously at Christie’s, London, in 1895 (18 July, lot 73), and again in 1906 (7 April, lot 95) from the collection of Harry Quilter. It later entered the Loeffler collection, passing by descent to his heirs.

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