Antonio Joli

Probably commissioned by Michele Imperiali, Prince of Francavilla, Naples, 1762;
Louisa S. Janvier, Los Angeles, until 1921;
Gift of Louisa S. Janvier to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1921 (acc. no. 21.8.1).

B. Fredericksen and F. Zeri, Census of Pre-Nineteenth-Century Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections, Cambridge, Massachusetts 1972, p. 591 (as Roman School, 18th century);
S. Schaefer, et al., European Painting and Sculpture in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles 1987, p. 75, reproduced (as Attributed to Giovanni Paolo Pannini);
R. Toledano, Antonio Joli, Turin 2006, p. 96, cat. no. C.VI.1, reproduced; p. 92, under cat. no. C.V.1 (as by Antonio Joli).

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting on canvas has been mounted on a piece of foam core and although this is slightly unusual, it has not had an adverse effect on the painting itself. The paint layer is clean and has been varnished and retouched. The varnish has received some visible marks on the left side which most likely emanated from some moisture. Throughout the picture one can see with the naked eye and under ultraviolet light a conspicuous lack of retouches, except for a few small isolated losses, a couple in the upper right and an isolated spot in the upper sky. However, it is the stained varnish on the left side and some remnants of dirt which may remain on the surface which could be attended to. As unusual as the method of support is, there appears to be nothing to gain from changing it.
"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."

This large painting was bequeathed to LACMA in 1921, along with a pendant of the same size, depicting Diana and Acteon, signed by Carlo Bonavia and dated 1761.¹ On the basis of the inscription on the reverse of the present picture, it was for a long time assumed that 'Francavilla' commissioned it from Antonio Joli to make a pair with his Bonavia, executed the previous year. Attributions to Joli, Bonavia and Panini (1982) were variously rejected in favour of one to Antonio Zucchi, an artist with whom the painting had been associated since 1990.  However, in his 2006 monograph on the works of Joli, Dr. Raph Toledano has once again assigned this painting to Joli, believing it to be a fully autograph work by him.  Furthermore, he has identified another painting by Joli in the same oval format and with the same inscription and date, depicting Alexander the Great Discovering the Tomb of Achilles, to be the pendant to the present work.² Toledano has proposed that the two Joli paintings and the Bonavia were commissioned by Michele Imperiali, Prince of Francavilla, as part of the decoration for a room in his Palazzo Giudice di Cellamare in Naples.

The subject is taken from a story by Titus Livius who told that in 362 B.C. a great chasm opened up in the forum. The Augeri explained that it could only be filled by throwing into it the most precious treasure of Rome. After many failed offerings from the citizens of Rome a young eques, Marcus Curtius, declared that there was no greater treasure than the courage of a Roman soldier and he leapt into the chasm, which was immediately filled.

1.  Sold ("An Auction of Property De-accessioned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to Benefit New Acquisitions"), Los Angeles, Sotheby Parke Bernet, November 7, 1977, lot 161.
2.  See Toledano, op.cit., p. 92, cat. no. C.V.1, reproduced p. 93.