After Lucrina Fetti, The Announcing Angel Fetti, 17th Century, Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed

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The announcing angel

lucrina fetti, born giustina fetti (rome, c. 1590 – mantua, 1673) attributed to

oil on canvas
75 … Read more The announcing angel

lucrina fetti, born giustina fetti (rome, c. 1590 – mantua, 1673) attributed to

oil on canvas
75 x 62 cm. - antique gilded wooden frame 87 x 74 cm.

full details of the painting (click here)

this work, characterized by a refined sacredness, depicts the archangel gabriel about to deliver the supreme announcement to the virgin, offering her the canonical white lilies, a symbol of purity and chastity. It is a splendid subject, executed with great stylistic quality, likely commissioned for private use and therefore particularly pleasing and easy to place.

the angel takes the form of a young man of rare beauty, with delicate features, wrapped in a precious robe with soft drapes, all punctuated by an intense classicism, where a balanced composition directs the viewer's attention to his face.

the painting is attributed to the baroque painter lucrina fetti, born giustina fetti (rome, c. 1590 – mantua, c. 1673), younger sister and pupil of the more famous painter domenico fetti, from whom she learned the secrets of the trade in her father's workshop in rome, and who later became a painter at the gonzaga court in mantua.

the painter's pictorial style is influenced by theatrical painting, rich in chiaroscuro contrasts and bright colors typical of baroque taste, all characteristics inherited from her brother. Even the depiction of our angel features the recurring facial features of her religious figures, with full cheeks, small but full lips, and an intense gaze.

her model was strongly influenced both by her roman family background and by her long devotional activity at the court of 17th-century mantua, which took place within the convent of sant'orsola, where she carved out a role of great cultural and social prestige.

the delicate facial features of the angel, portrayed here in three-quarter view, exemplify the grace of the painter's models, which we find in works such as the archangel gabriel (ref. 1) and the annunciation (ref. 2), both part of the collection of the palazzo ducale museum in mantua.

known for her altarpieces and marvelous religious paintings, fetti's mastery also extends to portraiture, a trait we can also see in our angel, who portrays us as a delightful young girl, following the still-renaissance dictates that the ideal of beauty and perfection was identified with the female face. In this regard, compare the face of our angel with that of saint barbara (ref. 3, claudio strinati collection, rome): the comparison between the features of the two figures, almost identical, especially in the detail of the swollen lower eyelid, evoking emotion, is an element that supports the attribution hypothesis (see the detailed comparison of the two works in the published photos).

(ref. 1) archangel gabriel of the annunciation, lucrina fetti, mantua, palazzo ducale museum, https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/fotografie/schede/imm-2s010-0000736/

(ref. 2) annunciation, lucrina fetti, palazzo ducale in mantua, https://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/opere-arte/schede/t6140-00189/

(ref. 3) saint barbara (claudio strinati roman collection, in origin: church of st. Ursula, mantua), https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/file:santa_b%c3%a1rbara_by_lucrina_fetti,_1619.jpg

the work appears to be in good condition.

additional information:

the painting is sold with a beautiful frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less