Lot 111: BENVENUTO TISI, CALLED IL GAROFALO FERRARA 1481 - 1559

THE PROPERTY OF TRAFALGAR GALLERIES

THE ADORATION WITH A SHEPHERD

measurements note
16 3/8 by 20 1/4 in.; 41.5 by 51.5 cm.

oil on panel

NOTE

This charming and evocative Adoration with a Shepherd is an example of Garofalo's youthful style, demonstrating his early fascination with Venetian prototypes and compositional devices. It is in fact an autograph replica of an early work of the artist (formerly with Matthiesen, London, see Paintings from Emilia, 1987, pp. 33-35, cat. no. 2) dating to circa 1508.

There are a number of similar depictions by Garofalo of the Nativity or Adorations of the Magi or Shepherds from early in his career (see Ferrara, inv. 171; Strasburg inv. 274, Berlin, inv. 261, and others). There must have been a strong demand for highly finished easel pictures of these subjects that he was perfectly suited to fill; indeed he produced such small paintings throughout his career. The present composition clearly denotes the artist's familiarity with the works of Giorgione. Longhi hypothesized that such influences must have resulted in a visit to Venice by Garofalo at some time in the years between 1505 and 1508 (see R. Longhi, Officina Ferrarese, 1934). Indeed documentary evidence has subsequently appeared that proves the artist was absent from Ferrara in 1508 (as outlined by Fioravanti Baraldi, op. cit, pp. 11, 90). Vasari noted that the two were friends (Vite, 1568, ed. Milanesi, vol. VI, p. 468).

The palette of this panel is quite different from Garofalo's earlier examples. The tonality of the painting is much less restrained. The distant landscape in particular, with its strong blues, shows the influence of Dosso Dossi, who became court painter at Ferrara in 1512. This could date the present painting to about 1514, when Dosso's influence becomes apparent in Garofalo's work, but while he still retains his giorgionismo.

We are grateful to Dr. Anna Maria Fioravanit Baraldi who confirms the attribution to Garofalo.