Lot 12: NICOLÒ RONDINELLI

PROPERTY FROM THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART, SOLD TO BENEFIT FUTURE ACQUISITIONS ACTIVE IN VENICE AND RAVENNA CIRCA 1490 - 1510 MADONNA AND CHILD WITH AN ANGEL PLAYING A LUTE oil and tempera on panel 32 by 25 1/2 in.; 81.3 by 64.3 cm.

Dayton, Ohio, Dayton Art Institute, circa 1951.

C. Ricci, "Uno scolaro di Giovanni Bellini, Nicolò Rondinelli," in Venezia, 1, Milan 1920, pp. 8, 28; A.G. Hess, Italian Renaissance Paintings with Musical Subjects: A Corpus of Such Works in American Collections with Detailed Descriptions of the Musical Features, New York 1955, cat. no. XCIb, reproduced; B. Berenson, Italian Pictures of the Renaissance, Venetian School, New York 1957, vol. I, p. 151, reproduced plate 394 (as "Homeless"); E.M. Zafran, European Art in the High Museum, Atlanta 1984, p. 49, reproduced; A. Tempestini, Bellini e Belliniani in Romagna, Florence 1998, pp. 180, 184 no. 2 (as a late work); P.L. Roberts, Corpus of Early Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections: The South, Athens, Ga. 2009, Vol. I, pp. 66-67, reproduced.

Cendra, Rome, by 1913; Elia Volpi, Villa Pia, Florence; His sale, New York, American Art Association, 27 November 1916, lot 1000; There purchased by J.E. Aldred, New York; With E. and A. Silberman Galleries, New York; Gift of a Friend to the High Museum of Art in 1951 (Inv. no. 1951.21).

Rondinelli was one of the leading painters in Ravenna in the late 15th century. He is thought to have been born in that city, but is first documented in circa 1490 in Venice where he worked in the studio of Giovanni Bellini. Even after his return to Ravenna shortly after 1495, his style continued to be strongly influenced by that of his master. Tempestini (see Literature) dates this work to late in Rondinelli's career, well after his departure from Venice. It typifies his compositions of the Madonna and Child in which the principal figures are placed behind a ledge and set against a background of a partially drawn curtain. While often times a view of a distant landscape was depicted at the right or left side, here the artist has included the figure of a musical angel. The still life of apples resting on the ledge allude to original sin and serve as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice that redeems mankind.1 A very similar work, though with the figure of Saint Jerome in prayer at the left side, is in the collection of the Accademia, Venice. 1. See P.L. Roberts, op.cit., p. 66.