Attributed To Giovanni Battista Ronchelli Oil On Canvas 18th Century - Joseph Meets Jacob

Features

Artist:  Giovanni Battista Ronchelli (1712-1788) Attributed to 

Artwork title:  Giuseppe incontra Giacobbe

Age:  18th Century / 1701 - 1800

Subject:  Sacred Subject

Artistic technique:  Painting

Technical specification:  Oil on Canvas

Description : Giuseppe incontra Giacobbe

Oil on canvas. The painting, traditionally referred to as from the private chapel of the Bossi-Zampolli villa, also known as Castello di Azzate, is close to the work of Giovanni Battista Ronchelli, who painted a series of frescoes in 1777 during its restoration that lasted from 1771 to 1779, wanted by the Conti Bassi family, the new owners. Born in a noble and rich family of the town of Castello Cabiaglio, near Varese, Giovanni Battista decided to devote himself to painting at 18 years old: between 1738 and 1740 he returned to his home town, and then moved to Varese to join the atelier of Pietro Antonio Magatti. His activity and his fame have always remained confined to his region, in the Italian North West and the Ticino area, where he worked decorating the interiors of numerous churches and palaces. His pieces had mostly mythical or holy themes, with many biblical episodes. A rare exception is the cycle of paintings of rural and maritime life scenes which decorate the hall of the same Bossi-Zampolli villa in Azzate, the only ones that bear the signature of the master from Cabiaglio, whose atelier is also credited for the rich decorations of every other inner room of the Castle. Moreover, most of the furniture and the paintings of the Azzate castle have been sold in a Porro auction in 2004. His pieces, like our painting, are characterized by a compositional lightness and the simplification of characters and their faces, as influenced by the masters from Rome and Varese, in particular by Magatti. In this piece, the scene tells an episode from the Old Testament about the life of Joseph, son of Jacob: father and son reunite after Joseph came back from Egypt where his brothers had sold him as a slave, telling Jacob he died. The painting is in its original canvas and frame, with a paper support on the back. Needs restoration for some paint losses.

Product Condition:
Fair condition. Wear consistent with age and use.

Frame Size (cm):
Height: 177
Width: 233
Depth: 5

Artwork dimensions (cm):
Height: 168
Width: 224