Ottavio Vannini (Florence 1585- 1644), Susanna at the Bath with Maids. Oil on canvas, 83¼ x 73½ in, 212 x 187 cm

Moretti Fine Art will stage their fifth exhibition of Italian Old Masters, SEICENTO FIORENTINO: Sacred and Profane Allegories at the New York gallery at 24 East 80^thStreet from 1 to 25 May 2012.  The Seicento, or the 17^th century, refers to Italian cultural and social history during this tumultuous period, characterised by several wars, conflicts and invasions as well as the patronage of the arts and architecture.  It was also the period which saw the end of the Renaissance and the beginning of the Counter Reformation and the Baroque era together with advancements in Italian science, philosophy and technology.

One of the highlights of the exhibition, Susanna at the Bath with Maids by Ottavio Vannini (1585-1644), is a glorious example of the work of this iconic Florentine artist.  Born in Florence, he trained in Rome under Anastasio Fuontebuoni and in Florence under Domenico Passignani.  This picture presents Susanna at a well, bathing with the help of her handmaidens while the two elders in the background are plotting to falsely accuse her of adultery.  The large marble fountain is reminiscent of the Ferrucci fountain at Palazzo Pitti. (price $475,000)  This date of the painting corresponds to the artist’s return to Florence for the execution of the fresco at the Villa of the Imperial Hill (Villa del Poggio Imperiale) and that of his well-known work Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well, c.1626-27, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Madonna and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist by Lorenzo Lippi (Florence, 1606-1656) portrays the Virgin seated with the Christ Child on her lap, reaching out to the cross held by the infant St John.  Lippi trained in the early 1620s in the workshop of Matteo Rosselli.  As Rosselli’s most faithful pupil, he assisted the master for over a decade, imitating his vividly pictorial style until the 1640s when he sought inspiration elsewhere.  This work, dating from the early 1630s, demonstrates Lippi’s clear preference for religious themes in the early part of his career.  The narrative character of the scene and the soft rendering of the draperies reflect the style of his teacher while showing his pictorial grasp of reality and naturalism.  The sacredness of the iconography, expressed by the large haloes over the heads of the Madonna and St John, does not prevent the painter from emphasising the group’s affectionate and human character.  Lippi’s reputation is undoubtedly destined to grow.  Documents confirm that, by around 1655, Lippi was considered among the greatest of living Florentine painters and yet with the passing years his star has rather waned.  However, paintings attributed to him that have recently come to light only serve to underline his talent.  (price $220,000)

The exhibition will be curated by Francesca Baldassari, an independent scholar in Florence, who has achieved international recognition for her expertise on Florentine painting of the 17^thand 18^th centuries.  She is the author of monographs on Tuscan artists of the period, Carlo Dolci, Cristoforo Munari, Giovanni Domenico Ferretti and Simone Pignoni as well as two important books on the period, in both English and Italian, La collezione Piero ed Elena Bigongiari. Il Seicento fiorentino tra favola e dramma and La Pittura del Seicento a Firenze.Indice degli artisti e delle loro opera.  In addition she has contributed significant studies to artists working outside the Florentine Seicento and Settecento such as the Emilian artist Guercino and Amedeo Laini and Giacinto Gimignani, both from Pistoia.  Seicento Fiorentinowill be the fourth exhibition Dr Baldassari has curated for the Moretti Gallery, having previously curated exhibitions staged in the gallery in Florence.

Lorenzo Lippi (Florence 1606-1656), Madonna and Child with a Young Saint John the Baptist. Oil on canvas, 42½ x 28¼ in, 109 x 72.5 cm