Lot 67: Bernardo Cavallino (Naples 1616-1656)

The Denial of Saint Peter oil on canvas, unframed 24 x 29 5/8 in. (61 x 75.3 cm.) PROVENANCE In the family of the present owner since circa 1900. NOTES This rediscovered picture is an important addition to the oeuvre of one of the most poetic artists of the Neapolitan Baroque. It is the only known autograph version of this composition, which was until now recorded solely through a studio copy formerly in the Church of the Gerolomini, Naples. That picture and its pendant, The Liberation of Saint Peter from Prison, were stolen in the 1980s (A. Percy, in the catalogue to the exhibition, Bernardo Cavallino of Naples 1616-1656, Cleveland Museum of Art, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and Museo Pignatelli Cortes, Naples, 1984-5, under no. 23, fig. 23a-b). The Denial of Saint Peter can be dated to circa 1640, a moment when the naturalistic force of the art of Jusepe Ribera, Aniello Falcone and the Master of the Annunciation of the Shepherds merges into the lyrical style of Vouet and Artemisia Gentileschi. The strong chiaroscuro, the refined highlights on Saint Peter's face and hands, the sophisticated brushwork of the drapery of Saint Peter and the white drapery of the Maid show the calculated, refined and delicate touch so characteristic of the artist. We are grateful to Professor Riccardo Lattuada (letter, 28 June 2001) and to Professor Nicola Spinosa (letter, 25 September 2001) who have independently confirmed the attribution and date the picture to the early 1640s on the basis of colour transparencies.