Giovanni Battista Langetti

Anonymous Sale, London, Christie's, 8 July 1994, lot 38;
There purchased by the present collector.

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 has been recently restored and could be hung as is. The canvas has been lined using wax as an adhesive. Originally it was painted on two pieces of canvas with the original join running through the left forearm and top of the left knee of the figure. There is one addition of a piece of canvas measuring approximately 2 ½ by 18 inches in the upper right corner and there are numerous fills and additions in the lower right corner and along the bottom edge generally. There are areas of the painting which are in very challenging condition. In the left side generally, particularly in the golden cloak, a good deal of the dark color throughout has been quite worn in the past. The restorations are quite reasonable effective and we do not recommend cleaning the work, but perhaps a small amount of further attention to the most restored areas would certainly be helpful. Under ultraviolet light retouches are visible throughout the work. There are many areas where these retouches are not numerous, particularly in the more brightly illuminated areas of the figures, but there are other areas needless to say where there is a considerable amount of restoration, particularly on the right side and upper left and upper right. Some of the retouches are not visible under ultraviolet light and this is a picture which should therefore not be cleaned.
"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."

At an early age, Langetti moved from his native Genoa to Rome where he studied under Pietro da Cortona.  From there, it is thought that he travelled to Naples, where he was exposed to the work of the Neapolitan masters Ribera and Giordano, both of whose work would have a profound impact on Langetti's oeuvre.  He eventually left Naples and went to Venice, where he spent the last twenty years of his career and enjoyed great success.  

In the present painting, the blending of Langetti's personal style with Neapolitan characteristics is evident in the artist's vibrant brushwork, and his dramatic use of light and chiaroscuro.  Langetti's interest in human anatomy is also apparent in his textural depiction of Joseph's musculature, which conveys a strong sense of realism.