Lot 142: Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli (Viadana c.1505-c. 1569/70)

The Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph oil on panel 93/4 x 11 3/8 in. (24.7 x 29 cm.) PROVENANCE Sir Abraham Hume, Bt., by 1824, and by descent through his daughter Sophia (d. 1814), wife of John, 2nd Baron and 1st Earl Brownlow, to their grandson Adelbert Wellington, 3rd Earl Brownlow, Ashridge Park, Buckinghamshire; Christie's LITERATURE Sir Abraham Hume, A Descriptive Catalogue of a Collection of Pictures, comprehending specimens of all the various schools of painting: belonging to..........., 2nd edn., London, 1824, no. 57, as Parmigian[in]o, 'When painting this little picture he seems to have had Correggio in his eye, as may be observed in the Virgin and Child, which are beautifully composed, and drawn with grace and elegance. The Joseph sitting in the distance is entirely in Parmigiano's own manner.' NOTES The traditional attribution to Parmigianino notwithstanding, this is a relatively early work by his kinsman and pupil Bedoli, as David Ekserdjian, after inspection, and Ann Milstein Guit‚, on the basis of a transparency, confirm. Sir Abraham Hume, with characteristic perspicacity, recognised that while the main group clearly emulates Correggio, the Saint Joseph is altogether Parmigianinesque, as is the delicate landscape. Ann Milstein Guit‚ considers that this is of circa 1530, while David Ekserdjian advanced a date of circa 1535-7. A comparison may be made with the small Correggiesque Madonna and Child in the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Mass. (A.R. Milstein, The Paintings of Giralomo Mazzolo Bedoli, New York and London, 1978, fig. 26): in both, as in a number of other relatively early works the artist's design seems to extend beyond the limitations of his panel. An old copy was in the Northwick Park collection ( Catalogue of the Collection of Pictures at Northwick Park, London, 1921, no. 56, as School of Parmigianino). The picture will be discussed in a forthcoming lecture by David Ekserdjian. SALESROOM NOTICE We are grateful to Dr. Mario Di Giampaolo for confirming the attribution on the basis of a transparency.