Lot Essay
The present picture is closely related to Vaccaro's large altarpiece for the side altar of the Chiesa della Concezione a Montecalvario, Naples (N. Spinosa, Pittura napoletana del Settecento dal Barocco al Rococò, Naples, 1986, p. 150, no. 202, fig. 239). The high quality of the present painting suggests that it is the original bozzetto for the commission (another exists in a private collection, Venice, loc. cit.); however, since Vaccaro is known to have executed ricordi of his bozzetti, often of equally good quality, the possibility that this is a ricordo should not be ruled out.