Sebastiano Ricci (Belluno 1659 - 1734 Venice), Christ mourned by three Angels

oil on canvas. 45 3/4 by 37 3/4 in.; 116.2 by 96 cm. Estimate 300,000—400,000 USD

PROVENANCE: Dr. M. Bonn Collection, Paris, by 1934;
Thence by inheritance until sold,
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Christie's, April 15, 1992, lot 52 (as Sebastiano Ricci);
With Colnaghi, London;
With Luca Baroni (as Gaspare Diziani).

LITERATURE AND REFERENCES: M. Goering, Künstler-Lexicon, XXVIII, in Thieme-Becker, Leipzig 1934, p. 253 (as attributed to Giambattista Tiepolo);
J. Daniels, Sebastiano Ricci, Hove 1976, p. 88, cat. no. 299 (as attributed to Sebastiano Ricci).
J. Daniels, L'opera completa di Sebastiano Ricci, Milan 1976, no. 607 (as attributed to Sebastiano Ricci);
A. Piai, "A proposito di Nicola grassi : Tre brevi appunti," in Arte Documento, 1997, no. 11, pp. 161-162 (as by Nicola Grassi);
E. Martini, "Note sul Settecento Venezia : Sebastiano Ricci, Pelegrini, Crosato," in Arte Documento, 1998, no. 12, pp. 111-112;
A. Scarpa, Sebastiano Ricci, Milan 2006, p. 217, cat. no. 216, reproduced fig. 92 (as by Sebastiano Ricci).

NOTE: This exquisite canvas, unavailable to scholars for many years until its appearance at auction sixteen years ago, has been the subject of much scholarly debate. Most recently, Annalisa Scarpa included this intriguing and enigmatic picture in her monograph on Sebastiano Ricci, sighting its incredibly high quality and many Riccesque elements, but she maintains that there are also passages that point to the hand of another, as yet unidentified, artist. When the picture was first published by Goering (see Literature), it was considered to be by Giambattista Tiepolo; Daniels, who had never seen the picture, published it as "attributed to Sebastiano Ricci" in his catalogue raisonné on the artist (see Literature); at the 1992 Christie's sale, the picture was again given to Ricci. Since that time, attributions to Gaspare Diziani, Nicola Grassi, Gian Antonio Guardi, and Antonio Arrigone have also been convincingly discussed, even by Scarpa herself (see Literature and Provenance).

What is clear is that the artist who painted this Christ Mourned by Angels was looking at the example of Veronese. It has been suggested that the composition of the present work derives from Paolo Veronese's depiction of the same subject, now in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, which the artist originally painted for the Petrobelli chapel, San Francesco, Lendinara.¹ Parallels between the present picture and another of Veronese's depictions of the theme of circa 1581-82, which forms the top section of an altarpiece, St. Mark, St. James, St. Jerome with the Dead Christ Borne by Angels, in the Church of San Zulian, Venice, may also be found. We can compare, for example, the outstretched arm of the angel at right in the present composition, with that of the angel at left in the San Zulian altarpiece, the foreshortened leg of Christ in each composition, and the costumes of the angels. The elegance of the present composition, as well as its brilliant and theatrical coloring, is also reminiscent of Veronese. Ricci, without doubt, looked very closely at the work of Veronese, whose badly damaged frescoes in the Church of San Sebastiano he was commissioned to restore circa 1700, and the similarities between the present composition and those of Veronese could argue in favor towards an attribution to Ricci.

Another argument in favor of an attribution to Ricci may be found in the stylistic similarities between the present canvas and two of Ricci's paintings from the mid-1690s, The Last Communion of Saint Mary of Egypt (sold London, Christie's, May 24, 1991, lot 52) and The Magdalene Comforted by Angels, in the collection of Ferrucio Ferruzzi Balbi, Venice, in which the center angel is closely paralleled.

The palette and soft handling of flesh tones in the present composition also point towards an attribution to Ricci, whereas the flickering, agitated brushstrokes point towards an attribution to Ricci's pupil, Gaspare Diziani.

1. See A. Scarpa, Sebastiano Ricci, Milan 2006, p. 217

Sotheby's. Important Old Master Paintings, Including European Works of Art. 29 Jan 09. New York www.sothebys.com photo courtesy Sotheby's