Giovanni Galizzi

Sedelmeyer sale, Vienna, Sedelmeyer, 20-21 December 1872, lot 86 (as Bonifazio Veronese) for 1610 Florins;
Purchased at the above sale by Heinrich von Ferstel (1828-1883), Vienna, his inventory number 3 (as Bonifazio Veronese), and thence by family descent.

The canvas is relined, the paint surface is dirty and the varnish is discoloured. There are some small paint losses in Joseph's robe and leg, in the Magdalen's robe, centre right, and in the lower right corner. There are long, very superficial surface scratches running diagonally over the canvas. There is a horizontal line running the width of the canvas approx. 1/4 from the lower margin, probably caused by an old fold. There are areas of discoloured retouching scattered along the right and left margins, and in the foreground. Inspection under ultraviolet light is hampered by the old, milky varnish but reveals very small and sparsely scattered retouchings, most notably to the hem of Joseph's robe, but the painting is otherwise largely untouched and would benefit greatly from cleaning. In overall good condition. Offered in a carved and gilt wood frame with egg and dart decoration with some losses.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

We are grateful to Professor Peter Humfrey and Robert Echols for proposing and endorsing the attribution to Galizzi on inspection of photographs. Until now, this Holy Family had been identified as the work of Bonifacio de'Pitati, called Bonifacio Veronese (1487-1553). Galizzi was in fact of the younger generation of Venetian artists influenced by Bonifacio, indeed his paintings have historically often been confused with those of the young Jacopo Tintoretto, for whom Bonifacio was also an important influence.

Galizzi is known from two signed and dated works, both from churches outside Bergamo but identified in inscriptions as painted in Venice. The treatment here of the drapery over the Madonna's bust, and the rendering of her pose, is particularly comparable to the Madonna in Galizzi's Adoration of the Magi, executed toward the end of the 1540s.¹ The overall composition, however, is more Bellinesque and in keeping with his Sacra Conversazione 'types' produced in the earlier years of that decade.

Heinrich von Ferstel was an Austrian architect and professor known for the vital role he played in the construction of late 19th century Vienna. He designed the first significant church of the Gothic Revival; the Votive Church (1856–79) in Vienna. 

1. R. Echols, 'Giovanni Galizzi and the Problem of the Young Tintoretto', in Artibus et Historiae, vol. 16, no. 31, 1995, p. 92, reproduced fig. 21.