Featured Need help for painting information

antique shop owners are not the best authority for 17th century paintings.......
and certificates are a dime a dozen ...

 

They sell antique paintings. Not antiques generally. I am sorry I didn't specify. It also has a guarantee and not a certificate, which is more binding than a certificate with an opinion. Also I have 30 days to return it. So I don't see any problem on that.

 

u said it yourself...
new collector..........1st purchase.........

Loving the image.....which you lack knowledge of......well that's wonderful.....and it is a lovely image............. BUT........that does in no way mean the seller is honest , credible .....or even knows what this painting really is....

 

I don't readily see an Adams apple.....

 

From what I have searched he is credible. Also he is well known. I have knowledge on paintings, being my first expensive purchase doesn't mean that I don't know what I am buying. And also what would be credible seller to you. Anyone could be selling fake paintings if we think it that way, I am not buying it from an unknown seller from a corner shop. Also I feel the attitude of your replies are a bit harsh. Are you attacking me for some reason that I don't understand?

 

I don't think though an Addams apple would be prominent in a preadolescent teen.

 

To my eye, it's a youth. A male youth. And he was likely an attendant in a larger painting, a flank to the Madonna and Child, for instance. (Both apples and pears are symbols associated with Mary.) But what did your dealer tell you about the painting? Surely he included a description in his offer?

Debora

 

Thank you for your reply. This was the only painting without extensive description. It was stated as a painting of an allegory that needs further study. Generally all his paintings have description, so I believe that they were baffled with it too. If it is part of a painting then it must be extremely large, as it is around 1 meter tall, so the hall painting must be huge.

 

I agree with the truffle theory. Though I think the young man is in ceremonial costume and that’s a ceremonial truffle fork. That pose holding out an open hand is quite classic, and I think holding two round truffles like that is a bit of fun on the part of the artist – there’s a lot of fun in 17th18th century Italian art. I personally don’t think it’s part of a bigger work, and it all looks authentic to me – though as pointed out it has had renovation and been relined.

 

Religious paintings can be quite large as they were created to fill religious spaces. I'm delighted you found a work you love. The frustrating thing is... When your painting was created, the subject could be "read" as easily as a modern audience can tell Superman and Batman apart. That context is long lost to us now.

Debora

 

Here's another example of that pose...

 

From what century is this one? I was thinking of mine being maybe a bit older than 17th century, maybe late 16th, could that be true?

 

No...no attack..
but your story is constantly changing.......so I'm trying to get a feel for what is real here....

* it's possible English is not yer 1st language..? *

that said...... I don't wish to be a further distraction on your quest here to authenticate your new purchase...... so I'll now bow our of this discussion...

enjoy your lovely painting !

 

Understandable. And yes English is my third language and I am 24 years old, I am though constantly trying to learn more and more about paintings from when I was 10. I have a small collection of 6 paintings from different eras, not something extremely special and this is my first expensive one. I am also an experienced collector of ancient coins. Thank you for you kind wishes. No bad feelings.

 

On the label from the studio that did the conservation treatment, there is a blind stamp (the circular impression) that I assume identifies the name of the studio that did the work. I can't make out the name, but it might be possible to locate the studio and see if they are still in existence. If so, they may have retained a file on the painting, which might have more information than the dealer was aware of.

 

That's why in focus, close-up photographs of stickers and labels are so helpful. Even just knowing that it was a restorer of repute would be helpful.

Debora

 

I did an image search and ran across an eBay auction for what I believe is your painting. Thought maybe other users could glean some info from that and make some judgements accordingly.

 

Link?

Debora

 

Sorry, don’t know how to do that. I found it using google lens.

 

I tried an image search and all I came up with was what I think is your painting, listed as "reserved" on an Italian dealer's website, and it certainly is quite an investment! Just a completely non-expert thought - might it originally have come from a little side chapel in a church, dedicated to some guild of truffle-hunters? Or more likely a painting commissioned for an Italian villa whose owner adored truffles? Truffle hunting seems incredibly important in parts of Italy, and I can imagine some rich landowner having it on his wall, with a youth as a personification of nature offering him truffles? (Or apples, if that instrument is to lever them out of trees.)
Once you get it in your hands you should be able to decipher the stamp and get on with your research. I think it is a wonderful painting, with an air of tranquillity and a definite personality, which keeps you looking at it.