Lot 23: LUDOVICO MAZZANTI Noli me tangere – Touch me not

LUDOVICO MAZZANTI
Noli me tangere – Touch me not
Oil on canvas

The painting is very important work in the repertoire of 18th century Roman painter Ludovico Mazzanti. Together with Odazzi, he was brought up under the influence of Gaulli; successively, however, he interpreted very originally Lanfranco’s and Maratti’s artistic language. On the back of the painting, the inscription reads: Munificentia / Emi et radmi D. Cardinalis Bufalini Ancone / Il cav(r) Ludovico Mazzanti F. l’anno 1766/80 di sua età.
Both handwriting and ink are absolutely authentic, so we can safely state that the picture was executed by Mazzanti towards the end of his activity, in 1766, and then, eight years later, the legitimate owner donated it to the bishop of Ancona.
The work was commissioned by Cardinal Aldovrandi, from Rome, as art critic Cinzia Virno highlights. In fact, Paola Santucci, another art critic speaks about the existence of a lost Noli me tangere from cardinal’s collection. (Paola Santucci, Ludovico Mazzanti, L’Aquila, 1981, p. 118.), and at this stage it cannot but be this one. In all likelyhood, it was Card. Aldovrandi himself who donated the painting to the bishop of Ancona. Though really executed in the closing years of the artist, it perfectly matches the smoothness and bright tones, most characteristic of the chromatic range of this Roman painter. The picture was executed after Mazzanti had completed very important commissioned work for paintings and overdoors for Palazzo Borghese.
In spite of its small dimensions, the painting cannot possibly be considered a sketch, as its artistic details are very accurate.
cm 57,5 x 41,5

cm 57,5 x 41,5

Oil on canvas