Lot 37: Pietro Paolo Raggi

Pietro Paolo Raggi
Genoa 1627(?) - 1711
the rape of the sabine women
oil on canvas, in a carved and gilt wood frame
180 by 222 cm.; 70 3/4 by 87 1/2 in.
This artist's work is often confused with that of his Genoese kinsman Francesco de Rosa (circa 1635/40-after 1710), whose naturalistic and tenebrist style is also indebted to the work of Giovanni Battista Carlone. Raggi's predilection for crowded compositions, dramatic scenes, and highly expressive faces, is exemplified by the present work. For stylistic comparison see The Martyrdom of a Female Saint in Braunschweig, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, and for a fuller discussion of the artist's works see B. Aikema, 'Francesco Rosa a Venezia', in Paragone, March 1997, year xlviii, no. 565, pp. 50-51.
We are grateful to Bernard Aikema for confirming the attribution upon first hand inspection.