Guglielmo Caccia, Detto Il Moncalvo, Angels Hunting Couple Paintings, 1620, Oil on Canvas

Details

Description

Guglielmo caccia, known as moncalvo (monabone, 1568 - moncalvo, 1625)
attributable

pair of paintings: angels with a scroll / angels … Read more Guglielmo caccia, known as moncalvo (monabone, 1568 - moncalvo, 1625)
attributable

pair of paintings: angels with a scroll / angels with a book

oils on canvas (50 x 60 cm - framed 68 x 82 cm)

reference bibliography: "il moncavo e la sua bottega", linelab edizioni, 2025.

work details (click here)

within the flourishing painting career of guglielmo caccia, known as moncalvo (1568 - 1625), which took place primarily in piedmont and lombardy, his putti, portrayed in a wide variety of poses, enjoyed great success. These paintings gave rise to the highly successful theme, which finds a truly significant example in the pair of paintings presented here.

drawings of cherubs and putti are, in fact, a typical moncalvo production, and this is not surprising, considering their often numerous presence in his works. His large altarpieces are almost always a festive riot of plump, rosy-fleshed cherubs with soft blond curls, flying in the sky and enlivening the more composed scenes of the paintings with their playful, childlike attitudes.

in our case, we see two pairs of small, winged putti: the first seated on a step, completely immersed in an open book they hold in their hands; the second seated on a finely damask cushion, intent on holding and consulting a long scroll resembling a musical score.

these works highlight the unmistakable stylistic peculiarities and executive quality typical of moncalvo's work. Trained in the vercelli school, he masterfully reworked renaissance and mannerist models in keeping with the taste of the piedmontese and lombard counter-reformation.

among his role models, we can mention perino del vaga (florence, 1501 – rome, 1547), a leading figure of mannerism and a pupil of raphael, who also worked in genoa. We know, in fact, that his pictorial language reached moncalvo both through the circulation of prints and drawings and through contacts between the ligurian community and the mannerist painters of neighboring lombardy. Moncalvo must have seen his "madonna enthroned with child and saints" in the church of san giorgio in genoa, from which he borrowed and reworked the two cherubs positioned at the base of the scene (fig. 1, detail of preparatory drawing).

we can then review, for comparative purposes, some works by moncalvo (and his close circle) that feature choirs or figures of angels: among these, saint michael the archangel surrounded by angels from the pinacoteca dell'accademia albertina in turin (image 3) and the altarpiece with the immaculate virgin and angels from villanova d'asti (image 4). We can also add mary magdalene with angels (image 5), the annunciation (image 6), and the musician angels (image 7), all from the milan state collection.

additional information:

good condition with antique frames.

the works are sold complete with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic .

we handle and organize the shipping of purchased works, both in italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. 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