Genoese school, 18th century
Adoration of the Shepherds
Gouache on vellum.
278 x 222 mm – 10 15/16 x 8 3/4 in.
Provenance – According to the inscription on the back of the old mount by a collector called F. Marquet: Spinola family, Genoa, with two other gouaches by the same hand; Mrs Blanc, Nice; acquired 1 000 francs each by the inscription author’s uncle, Eugène Marquet.
Although the present gouache, and others by the same hand, remain anonymous, their excellent quality is remarkable. This touching Adoration, probably created by a miniaturist artist, successfully combines naivety and realism. The quality in the rendering of details, freshness of colors, and realism of faces and expressions, is rare and intriguing.
Condition report – The vellum is fully laid down on Japanese paper. The gouache is in very good condition.
