Francesco Simonini (Parma 1686-1753)

A cavalry battle; and Cavalrymen with prisoners and cattle

Details

Francesco Simonini (Parma 1686-1753)
A cavalry battle; and Cavalrymen with prisoners and cattle
oil on unlined canvas
10 x 17 in. (25.4 x 43.5 cm.)
the first bearing inventory numbers '175' and '407', the second '178' and '410'
a pair (2)

Provenance

Field Marshal Count Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg (1661-1747)
Bequeathed to his nephew Adolph Friedrich von der Schulenburg, Berlin, and by descent to the present owner.

Literature

Inventario Generale della Galleria di S: Eccellza Felt Marescial Conte di Sculembourgh..., 30 May 1738 (see Binion, op. cit., 1990, p. 213).
Inventario Generale della Galleria di S.E. Maresciallo Co: di Schulemburg..., Venice, 30 June 1741 (see Binion op. cit., 1990, p. 236.
Inventaire de la Gallerie de Feu S. e. Mgr. le Feldmarechal Comte de Schulenburg - Tableaux de f.c. Berlin, c. 1750, nos. 407 and 410 (see Binion op. cit., 1990, p. 284).
Hehlen Inventory, 1958, nos. 233 and 236.
A. Binion 'From Schulenburg's Gallery and Records', The Burlington Magazine, CXII, no. 806, May 1970, p. 302.
E. Antoniazzi Rossi 'Ulteriori considerazioni sull'inventario della collezione del maresciallo von Schulenburg', Arte Veneta XXXI, 1977, p. 130.
A. Binion, La Galleria scomparsa del maresciallo von der Schulenburg, Milan, 1990, pp. 120-121, 213, 236 and 284, figs. 40 and 43.

Lot Essay

One of Schulenburg's inventories describes Simonini as 'the only painter of battles in Venice'; that of October 1737 reveals him as 'Scolaro del Monti e il Monti Scolaro del Borgognon', both of which painters were also represented in Schulenburg's collection. Twelve paintings by the artist are recorded in the inventories of 1738 and circa 1750, sixteen in that of 1741. The 1738 inventory, which valued these and two companions of the same format at 120 ducats, records that these had cost 24: in 1741 the four were priced at 100 ducats.

More from Old Master Pictures

View All