(Milan 1619–1703)
The Infant Christ, with the Infant Saint John and a cherub,
oil on canvas, 61 x 75 cm, framed

We are grateful to Filippo Ferro for confirming the attribution on the basis of a photograph.

The infant Christ sleeps on a white sheet with his head resting on a purple pillow decorated with tassels. The Infant Saint John and a cherub watch over him as he rests: one puts his arm around him and invites the other, who has just arrived and still has his wings open, to silence. The painting confirms the ability of the Nuvolone brothers to illustrate childhood themes with great delicacy and sweetness. Such pictures were much favoured by refined clients, as emerges from the old inventories of collections.

Unlike his brother Carlo Francesco, who used to include episodes with cherubim in his altarpieces, but also developed the theme of amorini in mythological compositions, Giuseppe accentuated their plump and sensual look. An example can be seen in the series of cherubim in the Madonna del Latte formerly in San Savino in Piacenza (see F. Ferro, I Nuvolone, una famiglia di pittori nella Milano del ‘600, Soncino 2003, p. 250, 63 g) dated 1661, a chronological reference of use with regard to the present canvas. Another Putto, similar to these ones, is intent on discovering his sexuality under the gaze of the little dog and with a fruit basket nearby (see Ferro, op. cit., 2003, p. 262, g 102). All these are proofs of the narrative ability of Giuseppe in his full maturity; on the basis of these works, one can imagine him intent on observing the development of his own children.

We are grateful to Filippo Ferro for his help in cataloguing this lot.