Madonna and Child

Details

Provenienz:
Sammlung Mary Heilmann-Stuck (1896-1961) und Generalkonsul Albert Heilmann (1886-1949), Villa Stuck, München, verso auf der Leinwand mit dem Sammlungsetikett;
im Juni 1944 über die Bayerischen Staatsgemäldesammlungen aus der Villa Stuck in das Bergungsdepot Höglwörth ausgelagert (Nr. 69 der Liste als “Italienisch Früh”);
Central Collecting Point, München, dort am 24.4.1946 registriert (als “old – Italian” 18th cent.) mit der Nr. “25637”;
am 17.11.1948 rückerstattet an Konsul Albert Heilmann, Äußere Prinzregentenstr. 4, München;
im Erbgang an Otto Heilmann (1919-1971), München;
danach Privatbesitz, Süddeutschland.

Description

The painter of this graceful nocturnal scene has not yet been identified, but he is likely to have belonged to the Venetian Tenebrosi during the transition from High to Late Baroque due to the dark colours, elegant figure style and soft sfumato. A proximity to Francesco Pittoni, the uncle of the more famous Giambattista Pittoni, is perceptible (cf. his altarpiece of the “Templar of Mary” in the church of San Lorenzo in Vicenza), but the latter rarely reaches the quality of the present work.
The painting was once owned by Mary Heilmann-Stuck, the daughter of Franz von Stuck, and her husband, Albert Heilmann. In June 1944, together with other works and paintings by Franz von Stuck, it was removed from the Villa Stuck to the Höglwörth salvage depot and returned to the Heilmann-Stuck family in 1948.

We are grateful to Dr Roberto Contini, Berlin, for his kind assistance in cataloguing this work.