Beschreibung:

VENETIAN SCHOOL (16th century) SALVATOR MUNDI Oil on panel, with wax seal verso: 'ACCADEMIA DI MILANO/PER L'ESPORTAZIONE' with double eagle encircling letters 'F.I.' 14 11/16 x 14 3/8 in. (37.3 x 36.5cm) provenance: Property of a Chester County, Pennsylvania Institution. note: The present previously unknown work is property of a Pennsylvania institution, where it has remained for decades. It belongs to an important corpus of paintings in which Christ is presented as 'Savior of the World,' his right hand raised with crossed fingers, offering a benediction, while - in some instances, as in the present work - he holds an orb, sphere or globe in his left hand. A 'Salvator Mundi' painting related to the present work was painted by the School of Giovanni Bellini circa 1500-1520, and is in the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo (though Christ is depicted holding scriptures in his left hand in the Bellini picture). Other early Italian paintings of this subject were painted by Francesco Bissolo Vincenzo Catena, Benedetto Diana Giovanni Mansueti, Mario Marziale, Jacopo da Valenza and Alvise Vivarini In the 'Salvator Mundi' paintings by the aforementioned artists, there is no orb/sphere in Christ's left hand. Italian depictions of Christ as 'Savior of the World' in which an orb/sphere is held in the left hand include paintings by Vittore Carpaccio Andrea Previtali Cesare da Sesto, Palma Vecchio and most notably, Leonardo. The theme was also treated by important early Northern European artists, including Joos van Cleve Michiel Coxie I and Albrecht Durer.