Michele TOSINI known as Michele di Ridolfi or Michele Ghirla - Lot 59

Michele TOSINI known as Michele di Ridolfi or Michele Ghirlandaio (Florence, 1503-1577) Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist in an animated landscape of an ancient ruin and a city in the background Oil on softwood panel (reinforced with two panels on verso) 68.5 x 57.2 cm Wear and restoration Viewing by appointment with the expert: Alexis BORDES - 01 47 70 43 30 - expert@alexis-bordes.com Our painting is in the Florentine tradition of the Renaissance, combining formal balance, gentle expressions and rich colors. In our work, the Virgin Mary is depicted with the tenderness of a mother, seated and leaning slightly towards the Child, creating a dialogue. Her face, imbued with serenity, reflects a calm and profound spirituality, while retaining a warm humanity that invites the viewer to contemplate. This painting belongs to a rather disparate group of works of roughly similar dimensions, all of which repeat, down to the smallest detail, the same stable yet dynamic iconography: the figures of the Virgin, the Infant Jesus and the little Saint John the Baptist form a pyramid, while the light skin tones and draperies form a diagonal. Only the backgrounds differ from one painting to the next. The composition was created around the middle of the 16th century by Florentine artist Michele Tosini. A pupil of Lorenzo di Credi and Antonio del Ceraiolo, he later joined the workshop of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio, hence his nickname Michele di Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio. Frescoist, portraitist and painter of devotional pictures, he was initially influenced by the great masters of the classical Renaissance, such as Andrea del Sarto and Fra Bartolomeo, before turning to the Mannerism of Francesco Salviati, Agnolo Bronzino and Giorgio Vasari, whom he assisted in decorating Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. From then on, his style was characterized by sculptural figures, decorative attention to drapery and hair, and a vivid, bluish palette. Tosini was responsible for several important decorations and a large number of altarpieces and paintings, some of which were produced in his studio with the help of artists such as Bernardino Poccetti and Francesco Brini. Our painting is fully in keeping with this high-quality production, and the underlying drawing is visible beneath the paint layer that has become translucent over time. Our version differs from the others, however, in that the background includes an imposing semicircular ancient ruin to the left of the Virgin. Of the other known compositions, two were offered for sale in Vienna (Dorotheum) on August 15, 1964 (oil on panel, 75 x 56 cm), and in Milan (Finarte) on May 24, 1976 (oil on panel, 76 x 65.5 cm), both of which feature a lively landscape with a castle in the background, embellished by a town on the right in the 1976 version. Other autographed versions are known from Baltimore, Walters Art Museum (inv. 37.1025), and Glasgow, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (inv. 165). Numerous replicas of varying size and quality have been found in private collections. More than a sacred image, our Madonna and Child embodies the humanist ideal of the Renaissance, where beauty, tenderness and spirituality come together. Every detail testifies to Michele Tosini's technical mastery and artistic sensitivity, making this work a moment of contemplation that is both moving and profoundly sacred. Expert : Alexis BORDES