Giovanni Biliverti

Probably F. Bocchi and G. Cinelli, Le bellezze della città di Firenze dove a pieno di pittura di scultura di Sacri Templi, di Palazzi i più notabili artifizi, e più preziosi si contengono, Firenze 1677, p. 167;

Probably M. Gualandi, Memorie originali italiane risguardanti le belle arti. Serie seconda, Bologna 1841, p. 118;

R. Contini, Bilivert, Florence 1985, p. 90, under cat. no. 22.

The prime composition by Bilivert was previously in the Bigongiari collection, Florence and is now property of Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e Pescia.¹ Contini publishes four other versions, including the present work, which is the only one in landscape rather than portrait format. Federico Berti also publishes another version, offered at Pandolfini Casa d'Aste, Florence, 11 October 2011, lot 160 with a tentative attribution, which has now been accepted as autograph following cleaning and restoration.² A number of preparatory drawings also exist, including the final one which was published for the first time by Berti (location unknown).³

¹ R. Contini, Bilivert, Florence 1985, pp. 89–91, cat. no. 22, reproduced fig. 23.

² F. Berti, 'Bilivert ‘in piccolo’ e non solo'', in Medicea, no. 12, December 2012, pp. 11-15, reproduced p. 14, fig. 6 (https://www.academia.edu/6926387/Bilivert_in_piccolo_e_non_solo_Medicea_12_2012)

³ Berti 2012, p. 17, reproduced p. 15, fig.7 (https://www.academia.edu/6926387/Bilivert_in_piccolo_e_non_solo_Medicea_12_2012)