North Italian follower of Caravaggio

Anonymous sale, Genoa, Wannenes, 30 November 2016, lot 662 (as an early work by Bernardo Strozzi).

The canvas has been relined. The paint surface is relatively clean, with some surface dirt. The canvas has a join 43 cm from the bottom resulting in a prominent horizontal seam. There is a further less prominent seam 4 cm from the top. To the upper right corner there is a 15 cm repaired damage. Ultra violet inspection reveals an uneven layer of varnish as well as some retouching to the head, helmet and hand of the figure on the right. Some more retouching is visible to the chest and wrist of the centre figure. Overall the picture is stable condition. The work is offered in a carved gilded wood frame in good condition.
"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."

At the time of the 2016 sale in Genoa, the attribution to Strozzi was endorsed by Camillo Manzitti. This dramatic scene would seem to have been produced by someone working in Genoa during the first decades of the 17th century, but in the opinion of, among others, Mary Newcome and Erich Schleier, it is not the work of Strozzi.

One possible attribution might be to Giuspeppe Vermiglio (Turin c.1585–1635). Vermiglio had his first training in Rome where he lived from 1604, before returning to his native Piedmont just before 1622. His style seems to be strongly influenced by Lombard and Bolognese masters such as Giulio Cesare Procaccini and Guido Reni. Active mainly in northern Italy, where he decorated a number of churches and public buildings in Novara and Alessandria, Vermiglio demonstrates in his works a predilection for strong Caravaggesque chiaroscuro and a palette of neutral colours interspersed with strong red accents. The figure of Saint Peter, with his grey beard, furrowed brow and coarse gesturing upheld hands, is particularly similar to Vermiglio's figure of Saint Peter in a painting of the same subject in a private collection in Lugano.¹

1. D. Pescarmona et. al., Giuseppe Vermiglio, Un pittore caravaggesco tra Roma e la Lombardia, exh. cat., Milan 2000, p. 86, cat. no. 3, reproduced p. 87.