Salvator Mundi, Florentine school circa 1660–1665

Jacopo Giorgi (Florence 1623–1665), entourage of Cesare Dandini
Salvator Mundi, Florentine school
oil on copper
circa 1660–1665
22 × 15.5 cm (unframed)

The painting is accompanied by an expertise by Federico Berti, who recognizes the work as an autograph painting by Jacopo Giorgi (Florence 1623–1665) and proposes a dating around 1660–1665.

The painting depicts the Christ Child at half length, with his right hand raised in blessing and his left resting on the terrestrial globe, following an iconography widely diffused in Florence during the second half of the seventeenth century. Small devotional paintings on copper were particularly appreciated in private domestic settings and form a significant part of Florentine artistic production of the period.

Jacopo Giorgi is documented as a pupil and direct collaborator of Cesare Dandini. Their relationship was close and continuous, as confirmed by historical sources, which also record the esteem in which Dandini held Giorgi: upon his death, the master left him a group of jewels, coins, and gold and silver medals. This bequest reflects Giorgi’s trusted position within the workshop and his role in the dissemination of Dandini’s models in the later decades of the seventeenth century, in the artistic context of Medici Florence.

From a stylistic point of view, the painting fully reflects the language of the Dandini workshop, with a well-established composition, a strong devotional focus, and a luminous palette built around the contrast between the blue background and the vivid red of Christ’s garment. The handling of paint appears more direct and concise than in Dandini’s autograph works, with compact brushwork and slightly sharper contours, particularly visible in the hands and hair. The softly modelled face, with warm pinkish flesh tones and an engaging, frontal gaze, gives the image an immediate and intimate presence.

The painting is set in a wooden frame with architectural motifs and a velvet inner lining.

Condition: good overall condition; minor retouching on the red garment; the copper support is in condition consistent with its nature and age.