Lot 15: BALDASSARRE ALOISI, known as “Il Galanino” (attr.) Judith and Holofernes

BALDASSARRE ALOISI, known as “Il Galanino” (attr.)
Judith and Holofernes
Oil on canvas

This painting, with its rapid, smooth application of paint, betrays a grasp of colour which, while occasionally lacking in polish, is
nevertheless very effective. We would argue that it is by a Caravaggesque master and that it may be dated to some time before the
end of the 1630s. It is complex to decipher because it does not fit neatly into any one of the identifiable categories in the context of
known early 17th century approaches to naturalism. This prompts us to suggest that it may well be the work of a copyist, thus an
artist who would tend to dip into and to blend a variety of different styles, which is exactly what we see in this painting. Some of the
features are pure Caravaggio, such as the old servant observing the scene in the background, with her vivid sense of realism and
colour. While the figure of Judith, on the other hand, is considerably less intense, tending towards a more classicising style and to
the display of more decorative details, such as the blue ribbon in her hair or her precious earrings. These features could well point
us in the direction of Baldassarre Aloisi, known as “Il Galanino”, an artist from Bologna who settled in Rome and Naples – in which
latter city he was the official copyist to the court, tasked by Viceroy Pedro Fernàndez de Castro, Count of Lemos, with copying the
works of Caravaggio. Two interesting comparisons may be made with a Portrait of Antonio Bruzio in the church of Sant’Agostino
in Rome, and with an altarpiece depicting The Virgin Helping Christ To Carry Cross in the church of St. Sulpice in Paris, published
by Monique de Savignac in 1987 (see M. De Savignac, Un tableau de Baldassarre Aloisi dit le Galanino dans une église de Paris: la
Vierge aidant le Christ à porter sa Croix, in Paragone, XXXVIII, NS, 1, 443, 1987, pp. 38–41). The painting is in an excellent state
of conservation.
180 x 130 cm

180 x 130 cm

Oil on canvas