Gaetano Callani (1736-1809)

Gaetano Callani Parma, 1736 – Parma, 1809 - att.a Museum-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 back inscription: “… 1798 / PARME” Within an ancient carved and gilded wooden frame Measurements: 62 x 46 cm in frame Panel: 53 x 37 cm Description of the work The panel presents a complex sacred conversation in glory, conceived according to a articulated ascensional construction that leads the eye from the ecclesiastical figures in the lower register to the appearance of the Virgin with Child. In the center of the upper part, Mary appears seated on the clouds, wrapped in a wide blue mantle that contrasts with the warm red of the dress. The face, gently inclined, is characterized by a withdrawn and contemplative expression. On her knees sits the Child, depicted naked and with the arm extended toward the figures below. To the left of the Virgin appears Saint Anthony of Padua, identifiable by his Franciscan habit and especially by the lily, his traditional iconographic attribute. The saint bows 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 vestments, adorned with gilded decorations and figurative inserts, is particularly refined, treated with precious and meticulous painting. Around the episcopal figure unfolds a lively movement of angels and putti, some of whom hold or present the saint’s insignia. Particularly significant is the group with the episcopal mitre, while the pastoral staff introduces another diagonal into the composition. On the right, a second ecclesiastic in dark attire, with a pectoral cross, observes the vision. The result is a solemn yet dynamic composition, in which the tradition of great Emilian Baroque religious painting is progressively tempered by the greater formal composure typical of the Parmense figurative culture of the late eighteenth 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 Parma’s artistic culture in the second half of the 18th century. Treccani recalls his pictorial closeness to Giambettino Cignaroli and, already in his youth works, his predilection for crowded compositions, viewpoints, perspective effects, elegant drawing, and attention to decorative details. These characteristics are recognizable also in the panel under examination: diagonal construction, crowded but controlled figures, putti observed from different viewpoints, the theatricality of the clouds, and meticulous decoration of vestments. The comparison with I Santi Vescovi Piacentini Particularly important is the comparison with I Santi Vescovi Piacentini, a documented Callani work preserved in Piacenza. The official description of the Catalogo Generale dei Beni Culturali records in the composition a priest with a rich chasuble, several bishops, a clerk supporting the pastoral staff, putti, clouds, and, importantly, the presence in the foreground of pastoral staff, mitre, and lilies. The recurrence of this specific repertoire in our panel is especially meaningful: here too we find bishop – rich attire – pastoral staff – mitre – lily – putti – celestial apparition, organized through an ascending composition. Naturally this does not by itself prove autography, 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 painted 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 Catalogo Generale 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 works from the artist’s late maturity with certain dating. In 1796, just two years before the date legible on our panel, Callani produced for San Liborio in Colorno the cycle of the Mysteries of the Rosary. The Catalogo Generale documents both the Madonna of the Rosary with Saint Dominic and the Nativity of Jesus. These works show that Callani was fully active in religious painting immediately close to 1798, making chronologically plausible the execution of our panel in that year. 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 identifiable with the name Gaetano Callani, the date: 1798 and the indication: PARME The latter corresponds to the French form of the toponym Parma. The datum is particularly significant because Callani was born and worked in Parma and in 1798 was still living and active. He died in Parma in 1809. Therefore the sequence name/signature – 1798 – PARME, provided the inscription is confirmed as contemporary and relevant to the execution of the work, constitutes a highly significant attribution element. Support and technique The painting is realized on ancient wooden panel, subsequently consolidated by crosspieces. The back shows patination and numerous traces of former woodworm activity. The overall appearance of the support seems coherent, on the basis of photographic examination, with the antiquity proposed for the artifact. The choice of the 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 hair of the putti and the highlights of the fabrics. Concluding considerations The attribution proposal to Gaetano Callani appears supported by the convergence of several elements: belonging to the late eighteenth-century Parmense cultural milieu; scenographic and diagonal construction; particular type of putti; taste for views; decorative richness of the vestments; documented presence in Callani’s repertoire of Saint Anthony of Padua and bishops; close iconographic comparisons with I Santi Vescovi Piacentini; documented activity of the artist as late as 1796 and, above all, a back inscription 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 motivated historical-critical sheet *** Note for collectors A work of particular collecting interest, attributable to Gaetano Callani (Parma, 1736–1809), an artist of significant importance in the Parma scene of the late eighteenth century, whose painting production is very rare on the antique market and in public sales. The databases consulted record a very limited number of works that have gone to auction. Good conservation state with normal signs of aging No disfigurements reported / to the back there are signs of past woodworm / The back shows patination and numerous traces of former woodworm activity Ideal for collecting and investment Professional packing and insured shipping

Estimate:$2,801.1

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