Federico Cervelli* (1625-1700)

The Sacrifice of Noah--a modello--en grisaille

Details

Federico Cervelli* (1625-1700)
The Sacrifice of Noah--a modello--en grisaille
with inventory number '147'
oil on canvas
36 x 22in. (93.5 x 58cm.)

Provenance

Field Marshal Count Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg (1661-1747) by whom shipped to Germany on Sept. 12, 1736, as 'Belluzzi - Quadro Un Padre Eterno con Sacrificio' (see Binion, op. cit., under Literature below, p. 263).
Bequeathed to his nephew Christian Gnther von der Schulenburg, Berlin, and by descent at Hehlen and elsewhere until sold, Sotheby's, London, Oct. 29, 1986, lot 68, as Attributed to Domenico Piola.
Anon. Sale, Christie's, New York, June 2, 1988, lot 66, as Attributed to Luca Giordano ($8,000).

Literature

Inventario Generale della Galleria di S: Eccellza Felt Marescial Conte di Sculembourgh . . ., May 30, 1738 'Antonio Belluzzi - Quadro con cornice dorata Rappresenta un Disegno a chiaro scuro un Padre Eterno con un Sacrificio al disotto' (see Binion, op. cit., p. 203).
Inventario Generale della Galleria di S.E. Maresciallo Co: di Schulemburg..., Venice, June 30, 1741 'Anto Belluzi - Quadro Cornice dorata rapresenta un dissegno a chiaro scuro d'un Padre Eterno con un sacrificio al di sotto' (see Binion, op. cit., p. 229).
Inventaire de la Gallerie de Feu S.e. Mgr. le Feldmarechal Comte de Schulenburg, Tableaux de f.c. Berlin, c. 1750, no. 147 'Antonio Beluzzi - Tableau, le dessein fait avec l'encre de Chine, reprs. Le pre ternel, un sacrifice au dessus' (see Binion, op. cit., p. 278).
A. Binion, La Galleria scomparsa del maresciallo von der Schulenburg, 1990, pp. 203, 229, 263 and 278.

Lot Essay

According to archival documents, in 1677 Cervelli, Pietro Negri and 'il Cavaliere Perugini di Torini' each submitted a modello, depicting the Sacrifice of Noah, for an altar in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo. In August of that year a committee met and selected Federico Cervelli over his two competitors to undertake this commission.

The present work may be the recorded modello of 1677 for this commission which Cervelli executed in 1678 (see Il Pittori Bergamaschi: Il Seicento, 1987, IV, p. 234 , no. 9 (under 'presenze venete e bresciane'), illustrated p. 258.