Giovanni Battista Salvi, called Sassoferrato

Very thinly relined. there is an old repaired vertical tear that can be seen on head of the Virgin in the middle of her forehead and up to the edge of her headdress. the paint surface is generally very well retained. the canvas weave pattern is noticeable throughout the picture, however this is not too distracting. under UV: retouching to tear mentioned above; in addition there are other scattered retouches to her face, neck and hand. a few can be also be seen in headdress and drapery. some of the old repairs, such as the tear, could be re-done more skillfully and painting would benefit from a fresh varnish. In a gilt wood frame with minor nicks.
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Giovanni Battista Salvi, more commonly known as 'Sassoferrato', after the town in which he was born, learned the rudiments of painting from his father Tarquino before embarking on a trip to Rome. There he studied the works of his contemporaries, including Reni, Domenichino, and the Carracci. His greatest influence, however, was Raphael and he is known to have directly copied the latter's compositions (see, for example, Sassoferato's Madonna and Child in the Galleria Sabauda, Turin [inv. no. 482], which is directly based on Raphael's Madonna of the Pinks [National Gallery, London, inv. no. NG6596]). Despite being an accomplished portraitist, Sassoferrato specialized in easel paintings of a devotional nature, usually representing the Madonna alone or with the Christ Child, of which the present composition is an outstanding example. The large number of autograph and studio replicas of Sassoferrato's compositions attest to the popularity they enjoyed within the artist's own lifetime. The present composition, showing the Madonna in the midst of quiet prayer, was certainly one of Sassoferrato's most celebrated and was utilized by the artist throughout his career. One such example is located in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux (inv. no. E. 950; see F. de Lépinay, P. Zampetti and S. Sassi, Giovan Battista Salvi, "Il Sassoferrato", exhibition catalogue, Sassoferrato 1990, p. 52, cat. no. 6).