Andrea Piccinelli, called Andrea Brescianino

Possibly Blenheim Palace (according to 1950 sale catalogue);
Henry Harris Esq., by 1932;
His deceased sale, London, Sotheby's, 25 October 1950, lot 183, as 'Andrea del Brescianino', where acquired by the father of the present owner for £50;
Thence by descent.

B. Berenson, Italian Pictures of the Renaissance. Central Italian and North Italian Schools, vol. I, London 1968, p. 66, as 'partly autograph'. 

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The original canvas is lined, and possibly transferred from a panel. The paint layer is raised but stable. Beneath a very discoloured and degraded varnish can be seen many small degraded restorations affecting much of the surface, along with a repaired vertical tear to the upper right through the sky. Areas in a good untouched condition include Madonna's face and robe, much of the sky and areas of the background. Removing the varnish would enhance the tonality considerably. Offered in a gilt wood frame with minor losses."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

We are grateful to Mr. Everett Fahy for endorsing the attribution to Brescianino following inspection of the original, and for dating the present work to the artist's time in Florence where he studied early on in his career, falling heavily under the influence of Fra Bartolommeo, Leonardo da Vinci and, in particular, Raphael; indeed, the design of the present work is heavily indebted to Raphael's Madonna del Velo, known today only through copies.¹ Although Brescianino subsequently spent the majority of his life in Siena he appears to have kept a workshop in Florence, run by his brother Rafaello Piccinelli (fl. 1506-45).

1. See J.M. Zur Capellen, Raphael, vol. II, Münster 2005, pp. 278 ff, reproduced.