Old Masters, British & European Paintings - Day 2 - 2nd March 2022

Lot 343

Luigi Garzi (Italian 1638-1721)

Estimate £8,000 - £12,000 | Hammer £7500

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Description

Luigi Garzi (Italian 1638-1721)

St John the Baptist baptising the people

Oil on canvas

106.5 x 174.7cm; 41¾ x 68¾in

Provenance:

By descent to the present owner

Luigi Garzi was born in Pistoia and moved to Rome by the age of fifteen. There he entered the workshop of Andrea Sacchi, and Garzi's cool, refined style demonstrates the influence of Sacchi as well as Carlo Maratta. He joined Rome's Accademia di San Luca in 1670 and became its president in 1682, reflecting the esteem he was held in by his contemporaries. The present canvas, which was discovered in an English private collection, is a previously unpublished addition to his oeuvre.

We are grateful to Francesco Petrucci for confirming the attribution of the present work.