Seicento Fiorentino. Sacred and Profane Allegories. [Ed. Italiana e Inglese]

One of the highlights of the exhibition, Susanna at the Bath with Maids by Ottavio Vannini (1585-1644), is a glorious example of the work of this iconic Florentine artist. Born in Florence, he trained in Rome under Anastasio Fuontebuoni and in Florence under Domenico Passignani. This picture presents Susanna at a well, bathing with the help of her handmaidens while the two elders in the background are plotting to falsely accuse her of adultery. The large marble fountain is reminiscent of the Ferrucci fountain at Palazzo Pitti. (price 350,000) This date of the painting corresponds to the artist's return to Florence for the execution of the fresco at the Villa of the Imperial Hill (Villa del Poggio Imperiale) and that of his well-known work Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well, c.1626-27, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Madonna and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist by Lorenzo Lippi (Florence, 1606-1656) portrays the Virgin seated with the Christ Child on her lap, reaching out to the cross held by the infant St John. Lippi trained in the early 1620s in the workshop of Matteo Rosselli. As Rosselli's most faithful pupil, he assisted the master for over a decade, imitating his vividly pictorial style until the 1640s when he sought inspiration elsewhere. This work, dating from the early 1630s, demonstrates Lippi's clear preference for religious themes in the early part of his career. The narrative character of the scene and the soft rendering of the draperies reflect the style of his teacher while showing his pictorial grasp of reality and naturalism. The sacredness of the iconography, expressed by the large haloes over the heads of the Madonna and St John, does not prevent the painter from emphasising the group's affectionate and human character. Lippi's reputation is undoubtedly destined to grow. Documents confirm that, by around 1655, Lippi was considered among the greatest of living Florentine painters and yet with the passing years his star has rather waned. However, paintings attributed to him that have recently come to light only serve to underline his talent.