Offered by Franck Anelli Fine Art
REQUEST INFORMATION
Of Flemish origin, Pietro de Lignis settled in Rome around 1599, where he is recorded in the registers of the Accademia di San Luca in 1607. The fluid rhythm of his compositions and the smooth handling of his brushwork are akin to the creations of the Cavalier d’Arpino, with figures that are even more elegant. His paintings bring together crowds of figures beneath a very high horizon line.
His Northern origins are evident in his love of richly colored and elaborate costumes, here adorned with precious stones, as well as in the precise rendering of brocades and goldsmiths’ work. Another characteristic feature of the painter is the opening toward a bluish background with acid-green foliage, here visible on the left, which aligns him with the Northern landscape painters active in Rome, such as Paul Bril and Adam Elsheimer.
Among the few signed works known today, in which he Italianized or Latinized his name, one can note the magnificent Adoration of the Magi of 1616 (on copper, 70 × 54 cm, Madrid, Museo del Prado), the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Karlsruhe, Staatliche Kunsthalle), and an Adoration of the Shepherds (private collection). It is no coincidence that, among this small number of surviving works by his hand, several depict the same subject of the Epiphany. Pietro de Lignis seems to have catered to a clientele of connoisseurs and collectors who sought this type of refined and virtuosic painting. The subject of the Adoration of the Magi is particularly well suited to this taste, with its colorful and exotic procession.
The works of this painter are extremely rare on the market.
A certificate from the Turquin cabinet will be provided to the buyer.
