Lot Essay
Previously attributed to Francesco Vanni, the recognition of the present painting, datable to circa 1610, as by Manetti (Bagnoli, op. cit.) was an important step in the restitution of a body of early Sienese work to this artist. While retaining the Baroccesque mannerism of Francesco Vanni it also displays the chromatic palate typical of late Sienese painting and Ventura Salimbeni in particular.
Recorded by Giulio Mancini (c.1617-20, ed. 1956, p.211) as being a pupil of Francesco Vanni, Manetti's work of circa 1597-1612 was a fusion of the characteristics of the two important Sienese painters with whom he affected the resuscitation of the pictorial culture of Siena. The stylistic confusion between Manetti and these two artists, Francesco Vanni and Ventura Salimbeni, is symptomatic of the unified style of painting of this period, in part deriving from their participation in projects for the Sienese Republic. These included a series of frescoes in the Palazzo Pubblico, where schematic unity and clarity of narrative were necessary in order to conform to the rules dictated by the Council of Trent. Their work, therefore, became almost indivisible with emerald greens, celestial greys and rosy pinks common to all of them. The success of Manetti's frescoes for lunettes in the Sala del Consistoro in the Palazzo Pubblico illustrating the Story of Saint Catherine of Siena and Pope Gregory (1597) and the Life of Antonio Piccolomini (1598) established his place in the hierachy of Sienese painting, culminating in his appointment as Head Planner to the Sienese Pictorial Council circa 1605-10.
As a result of this work and his public commissions for the lay fraternity of San Rocco circa 1606-9, Manetti was commissioned by the fraternity to paint a standard. Though later thought to be by Ventura Salimbeni, this work was recorded by Fabio Chigi (later Pope Alexander VII) as un bello standardo di Rutilio Manetti in cui á imitato la maniera di F. Vanni e Ventura Salimbeni. Now in the Canonica di San Petro in Castelvecchia, Siena, this painting is a seminal work in defining Manetti's early oeuvre. Depicting San Rocco and Giobbe interceding with the Madonna for the City of Siena (recto) and San Rocco and Saint Catherine of Siena with a host of Angels (verso) it provides an important locus quiem in dating the present work which displays the same liking for a pyramidal format, favored by Manetti at the height of his success in Siena, circa 1608, and also used in his Madonna with Saints Peter and Albano in Quinciano, San Albano and in the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena, in a private collection. The melancholic expressions, chubby-faced interacting children, attention to naturalistic detail and interest in landscape, and the cool rosy palette give these works a distinctive quality which is now accepted as being characteristic of Manetti's early work.
A 17th century copy of the present composition, without the landscape, is in the Chigi Saracini collection, Siena.
We are grateful to Alessandro Bagnoli for confirming in private correspondence the attribution to Manetti and suggesting a date of circa 1610.
Recorded by Giulio Mancini (c.1617-20, ed. 1956, p.211) as being a pupil of Francesco Vanni, Manetti's work of circa 1597-1612 was a fusion of the characteristics of the two important Sienese painters with whom he affected the resuscitation of the pictorial culture of Siena. The stylistic confusion between Manetti and these two artists, Francesco Vanni and Ventura Salimbeni, is symptomatic of the unified style of painting of this period, in part deriving from their participation in projects for the Sienese Republic. These included a series of frescoes in the Palazzo Pubblico, where schematic unity and clarity of narrative were necessary in order to conform to the rules dictated by the Council of Trent. Their work, therefore, became almost indivisible with emerald greens, celestial greys and rosy pinks common to all of them. The success of Manetti's frescoes for lunettes in the Sala del Consistoro in the Palazzo Pubblico illustrating the Story of Saint Catherine of Siena and Pope Gregory (1597) and the Life of Antonio Piccolomini (1598) established his place in the hierachy of Sienese painting, culminating in his appointment as Head Planner to the Sienese Pictorial Council circa 1605-10.
As a result of this work and his public commissions for the lay fraternity of San Rocco circa 1606-9, Manetti was commissioned by the fraternity to paint a standard. Though later thought to be by Ventura Salimbeni, this work was recorded by Fabio Chigi (later Pope Alexander VII) as un bello standardo di Rutilio Manetti in cui á imitato la maniera di F. Vanni e Ventura Salimbeni. Now in the Canonica di San Petro in Castelvecchia, Siena, this painting is a seminal work in defining Manetti's early oeuvre. Depicting San Rocco and Giobbe interceding with the Madonna for the City of Siena (recto) and San Rocco and Saint Catherine of Siena with a host of Angels (verso) it provides an important locus quiem in dating the present work which displays the same liking for a pyramidal format, favored by Manetti at the height of his success in Siena, circa 1608, and also used in his Madonna with Saints Peter and Albano in Quinciano, San Albano and in the Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Siena, in a private collection. The melancholic expressions, chubby-faced interacting children, attention to naturalistic detail and interest in landscape, and the cool rosy palette give these works a distinctive quality which is now accepted as being characteristic of Manetti's early work.
A 17th century copy of the present composition, without the landscape, is in the Chigi Saracini collection, Siena.
We are grateful to Alessandro Bagnoli for confirming in private correspondence the attribution to Manetti and suggesting a date of circa 1610.