Lot Essay
TWO PICTURES OF SALOME RECEIVING THE HEAD OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST ARE RECORDED IN THE LIBRO DEI CONTI ONE OF WHICH CAN BE
IDENTIFIED AS THE PAINTING AT RENNES (SALERNO, NO. 169). GUERCINO WAS COMMISSIONED TO PAINT THE SUBJECT BY LODOVICO MASTRI IN BOLOGNA AND THE PAINTING WAS VIRTUALLY COMPLETED IN 1637. ON 4 AUGUST 1637 GUERCINO WROTE TO THE DUKE OF MODENA, TO SAY THAT HE HAD LEARNED FROM THE GOVERNOR OF CENTO, ALFONSO PALETTONIO, THAT THE DUKE WANTED THIS PAINTING. THE PAINTING WAS SENT TO THE DUKE AND GUERCINO PAINTED ANOTHER FOR MASTRI, THE LATTER PAINTING IS LOST. MASTRI'S PAYMENT OF 105 SCUDI WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT WAS ONLY ONE HALF-LENGTH FIGURE OF SALOME HOLDING THE HEAD, AS THE DUKE PAYED 225 SCUDI FOR THE MORE ELABORATE RENNES COMPOSITION.
THE EXECUTIONER IN THE RENNES PICTURE IS COMPARABLE WITH THE PRESENT DRAWING ONLY IN HIS COSTUME OF SLASHED BREECHES; INDICATED IN THIS STUDY WITH CHARACTERISTIC BRAVURA. THE DATE OF AROUND 1637 FOR THE PICTURE WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THIS DRAWING; THE HANDLING OF THE WASH AND THE LOOPING PENWORK OF THE PENTIMENTI AROUND THE BREECHES ARE COMPARABLE WITH THAT OF TWO STUDIES FOR AN ANNUNCIATION AT WINDSOR (MAHON AND TURNER, NOS. 94-5, PLS. 99-100), RELATED TO THE PICTURE IN THE OSPEDALE MAGGIORE, SANTISSIMA ANUNZIATA, MILAN OF 1638-9, SIR DENIS AHON HAS KINDLY CONFIRMED THE CONNECTION WITH THE RENNES PICTURE
IDENTIFIED AS THE PAINTING AT RENNES (SALERNO, NO. 169). GUERCINO WAS COMMISSIONED TO PAINT THE SUBJECT BY LODOVICO MASTRI IN BOLOGNA AND THE PAINTING WAS VIRTUALLY COMPLETED IN 1637. ON 4 AUGUST 1637 GUERCINO WROTE TO THE DUKE OF MODENA, TO SAY THAT HE HAD LEARNED FROM THE GOVERNOR OF CENTO, ALFONSO PALETTONIO, THAT THE DUKE WANTED THIS PAINTING. THE PAINTING WAS SENT TO THE DUKE AND GUERCINO PAINTED ANOTHER FOR MASTRI, THE LATTER PAINTING IS LOST. MASTRI'S PAYMENT OF 105 SCUDI WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT WAS ONLY ONE HALF-LENGTH FIGURE OF SALOME HOLDING THE HEAD, AS THE DUKE PAYED 225 SCUDI FOR THE MORE ELABORATE RENNES COMPOSITION.
THE EXECUTIONER IN THE RENNES PICTURE IS COMPARABLE WITH THE PRESENT DRAWING ONLY IN HIS COSTUME OF SLASHED BREECHES; INDICATED IN THIS STUDY WITH CHARACTERISTIC BRAVURA. THE DATE OF AROUND 1637 FOR THE PICTURE WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THIS DRAWING; THE HANDLING OF THE WASH AND THE LOOPING PENWORK OF THE PENTIMENTI AROUND THE BREECHES ARE COMPARABLE WITH THAT OF TWO STUDIES FOR AN ANNUNCIATION AT WINDSOR (MAHON AND TURNER, NOS. 94-5, PLS. 99-100), RELATED TO THE PICTURE IN THE OSPEDALE MAGGIORE, SANTISSIMA ANUNZIATA, MILAN OF 1638-9, SIR DENIS AHON HAS KINDLY CONFIRMED THE CONNECTION WITH THE RENNES PICTURE