Gaetano Callani (1736-1809)

Gaetano Callani Parma, 1736 – Parma, 1809 - att.a Museal work / 1798 - accompanied by a historically critical motivated note “ Madonna with Child in glory with Saint Anthony of Padua, holy bishop and angels “ Oil on panel End of the 18th century, probably the last quarter On the verso inscription: “… 1798 / PARME” Within an aged wooden, carved and gilded frame Dimensions: 62 x 46 cm in frame Panel: 53 x 37 cm Description of the work The panel presents a complex holy conversation in glory, conceived according to an articulated ascensional construction that leads the eye from the ecclesiastical figures in the lower register up to the apparition of the Virgin with Child. At the center of the upper part, Mary appears seated on the clouds, wrapped in a wide azure mantle that contrasts with the warm red of the robe. The face, delicately inclined, is characterized by a gathered and contemplative expression. On her knees sits the Child, depicted nude and reaching out his arm toward the figures below. To the left of the Virgin stands Saint Anthony of Padua, identifiable by his Franciscan habit and especially by the lily, his traditional iconographic attribute. The saint bends with deep devotion toward Christ, kissing his foot. The lower register is dominated by the monumental presence of a bishop saint, kneeling and facing the celestial apparition. The rendering of the sumptuous liturgical vestment, traversed by gilded decorations and figurative inserts, is treated with a precious and meticulous painting technique. Around the episcopal figure unfolds a lively movement of angels and cherubs, some of whom hold or present the saint’s insignia. Particularly significant is the group with the episcopal mitre, while the crozier introduces an additional diagonal in the composition. On the right, a second ecclesiastic in dark habit, with a pectoral cross, assists the vision. The result is a solemn yet dynamic composition, in which the tradition of the great Baroque religious painting from Emilia is progressively tempered by the greater formal composure typical of the Parmense figurative culture of the late 18th century. Reasons for attribution to Gaetano Callani The attribution to Gaetano Callani is supported by a significant convergence of stylistic, iconographic, chronological and documentary elements. Callani was born in Parma in 1736 and died there in 1809. Painter and sculptor, he was one of the protagonists of Parmense artistic culture in the second half of the 18th century. Treccani recalls his close painting affinity with Giambettino Cignaroli and, already in his youthful works, the preference for crowded compositions, perspectives, elegant drawing and attention to decorative details. Characteristics recognizable also in the panel under study: diagonal construction, crowded but controlled arrangement of figures, cherubs observed from different viewpoints, the theatricality of the clouds and the meticulous decoration of the vestments. The comparison with I Santi Vescovi Piacentini Particularly important is the comparison with I Santi Vescovi Piacentini, a documented Callani work conserved in Piacenza. The official description of the Generale Catalogo dei Beni Culturali records in the composition a priest with a rich cope, several bishops, a cleric supporting the crozier, cherubs, clouds and, significantly, the presence in the foreground of crozier, mitre and lilies. The recurrence of this specific repertoire in our panel is particularly meaningful: here too we find bishop – rich vestment – crozier – mitre – lily – cherubs – celestial appearance, arranged through an ascending composition. Naturally, this does not constitute proof of autograph for itself, but it represents an iconographic and compositional comparison of notable interest. Saint Anthony of Padua The presence of Saint Anthony also has a definite precedent in Callani’s production. In 1768 the artist indeed produced a large altarpiece with Saint Margaret of Cortona, Blessed Andrea Avellino, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony the Abbot, Saint Mary Magdalene and another holy martyr adoring the Child, today documented by the Generale Catalogo dei Beni Culturali. The devotional relationship between the saints and the Child thus fully belongs to the artist’s repertoire. Chronological comparison: the works of 1796 Another important element is represented by the certain works of the last maturity. In 1796, just two years before the date legible on our panel, Callani created for San Liborio in Colorno the cycle of the Mysteries of the Rosary. The Generale Catalogo documents both the Madonna of the Rosary with Saint Dominic and the Nativity of Jesus. These works demonstrate that Callani was fully active in religious painting immediately close to 1798, making the execution of our panel in that year chronologically plausible. The signature and inscription on the back This represents the most important element of the work. On the back of the panel there is an ancient inscription in which a signature/inscription attributable to Gaetano Callani, the date: 1798 and the indication: PARME The latter corresponds to the French form of the toponym Parma. The detail is particularly relevant because Callani was Parmense by birth and activity and in 1798 was still living and working. He died in Parma in 1809. Therefore the sequence name/signature – 1798 – PARME, should the inscription be confirmed as contemporaneous and relevant to the execution of the work, constitutes an attributive element of considerable interest. Support and technique The painting is executed on ancient wooden panel, later consolidated with cross-members. The back shows patination and numerous traces of previous woodenworm activity. The overall appearance of the support seems coherent, based on photographic examination, with the antiquity proposed for the artifact. The choice of panel is also interesting for the remarkable precision achieved by the artist in the details: the bishop’s face, the hands, the liturgical ornaments, the cherubs’ hair and the highlights of the fabrics. Concluding remarks The attribution to Gaetano Callani appears supported by the convergence of several elements: stylistic belonging to the late 18th-century Parmese culture; scenographic and diagonal construction; particular typology of the cherubs; taste for viewpoints; rich decoration of the vestments; documented presence in Callani’s repertoire of Saint Anthony of Padua and of saint bishops; close iconographic comparisons with I Santi Vescovi Piacentini; documented activity of the artist as late as 1796 and, above all, an inscription on the back apparently referable to the artist, associated with the date “1798” and the indication “PARME”. Estimate: 4,000.00 / 6,000.00 euros - with sales document and legitimate provenance - accompanied by a historically-critically motivated note *** Note for collectors Work of particular collectible interest, attributable to Gaetano Callani (Parma, 1736–1809), artist of significant importance in the Parmense panorama of the late 18th century, whose painting production appears very rarely on the antique market and in public sales. The databases consulted indeed register a very limited number of works that have gone to auction. Good preservation state with normal signs of time No reported discrepancies / on the back there are signs of past woodworm / The back shows patination and numerous traces of prior woodworm activity Ideal for collecting and investment Professional packing and insured shipping

Schätzpreis:€2,500

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