Teodoro Filippo di Liagno, called Filippo Napoletano

S. Clarke, Esq.;

James Morant, Esq., London;

Reverend William Sharp, Manchester;

Anonymous sale, New York, Christie's, 4 April 1990, lot 236 (as Circle of Adam Elsheimer);

Where acquired by the present collector.

This supernatural scene of witches and various monstrous creatures was executed by Filippo Napoletano, an Italian painter celebrated for his scenes of "fire, boats and animals."¹ The work likely dates to his Florentine period, when, under the patronage of Grand Duke Cosimo II de' Medici, the artist produced several depictions of fires and explosions on non-traditional supports, including copper, slate, and pietra paesino. While the subject matter is somewhat unusual in Napoletano's oeuvre, its fantastical imagery draws inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch as well as contemporary alchemical practices. At center, a witch stirs a boiling cauldron around which an assortment of animal skulls and bones lay strewn on the ground. One particularly charming detail is the owl at upper right: perched on a branch, it holds a flaming twig in its beak.

We are grateful to Professor Riccardo Lattuada for suggesting the attribution to Filippo Napoletano on the basis of digital photographs.

¹ "fuochi, navigli e animali." M. Chiarini, Teodoro Filippo di Liagno detto Filippo Napoletano, 1589-1629, vita e opera, Florence 2007, p. 238.