Featured Need help for painting information

I just won this painting. I am a new collector and fell in love with it. I would like to know any kind of information if possible for it. The only things I know is that it is from 17th century, Italian school and that it was at some point restored. It comes from a well known antique shop from Italy and it is accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. Any info on the artist or what it represents will be appreciated a lot. Also I would like some feedback on one of my first purchases. Thank you all in advance!

 

It is lovely Seb.
This may sound strange, but to me it looks like he is holding truffles, and the implement could be a truffle scoop. The patron saint of truffle hunters maybe?

 

White wintertruffle:

 

Congratulations, what a nice painting! I don't have any knowledge of 17th century Italian paintings, but I do agree that it has been conserved or restored. The stretcher bars look more like early 20th century and I would guess the frame is from the same time period. Is there some useful information on the label? If so, a pic would be nice.

 

It looks like it was once part of a larger painting.

Apparently the patron saint of truffle farmers is St Anthony the Abbott, probably because he is the patron of farmers in general, and he is often depicted with a pig. This is not Anthony the Abbott.

 

Why do you think that it could be part of a larger one?

 

Thank you for your answer. I don't have the painting on my hands yet and the seller doesn't have a better picture of it. I just emailed him asking him what is written.

 

It looks cut down, the top is cut off.
And in my experience, when a religious looking figure is turned to one side, even if he is facing you, he could be part of a larger painting or the painting could be one side of a triptych.

 

Do you think it is religious? I am thinking that if these he is holding are rocks, it might be David from bible. Also I got someone who said that the balls placed close to the shaft of the weapon could be some kind of a phallic/ sexual symbol. Could this be true?

 

You could check by loosening the clips and lifting the painting from the frame. If it is painted all the way to the edge, then it could be trimmed down from a larger painting.

 

Maybe a subtle reference to puberty or manhood?

 

The label is from a conservation. Here they gave me a better picture.

 

It's a religious painting and, as above, does appear to be cropped from a larger work. (That's why the staff is cut off.) Unless signed -- which is something the seller would likely have disclosed -- unlikely you'll ever identify artist. And tell your friend that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Debora

 

David used a sling, not a metal tool on a wooden pole.

Probably the same person who tried to convince me that perfume bottles are phallic symbols.

 

I think you are right. Some people just see what they want to see on anything. A dirty mind will always find it's way. What is your opinion on what the figure is? An other idea of mine is that it might be an angel guard from the garden of Eden, hence the fruit and the spear (which I indeed checked and it is a medieval spear)

 

What kind of Medieval spear? The metal part looks concave or convex to me.

 

Perhaps it's a halberd.

Debora

 

Some type of polearm like these. There are many different types.

 

@Fid ....... any thoughts..?

 

I am still seeing a concave or convex shape in the metal.