Lot 12

Italská škola MARRIAGE OF THE VIRGIN

This is a painting of very fine quality, with a color palette reminiscent of the Venetian school. The architectural background of the church interior is based on Carlo Saraceni’s *The Dormition of the Virgin*. In the lower half of the painting, one can also see a resemblance to the composition of the group of figures—specifically, the woman with a child and a dog—from Ludovico Carracci’s *The Mystical Betrothal of the Virgin*. The painting’s style bears the hallmarks of the Neapolitan Baroque painter Luca Giordano, who traveled to Venice in 1667, where he was inspired by the works of Titian and Veronese. Because of his ability to paint quickly, he was nicknamed Luca Fà Presto. The Marriage of the Virgin Mary to Joseph is one of the non-canonical stories told in the Golden Legend, a 13th-century collection of saints’ lives. The story had been a favorite subject for painters since the time of Giotto. Mary’s suitors were invited to the temple, each equipped with a wooden staff. The man whose staff was chosen was to win her hand. Joseph holds a staff from which small olive leaves sprout, illuminated by divine light as a sign of approval; behind him stands a crowd of unsuccessful suitors.