Giovanni Battista Gaulli, called Il Baciccio

Possibly Gaspar de Haro y Guzman, 7th Marqués del Carpio (1629-1686), Villa di Porta San Pancrazio, Rome;
Grupo Sindical Socialista de Teléfonos, Spain (according to an old label on the reverse).

The painting is warmer in tone and lighter in colour than the catalogue illustration. The canvas has an old relining that retains it's bounce and has not overly flattened the paint surface. Surface damage and tears are visible to the naked eye and can be clearly made out in the catalogue illustration. Under the yellowed varnish the brushstrokes can still be appreciated. The beard area has become a little thin as have certain parts of the hair. A restored L shaped tear 5 by 5 cm. can be made out in the upper right of the apostle's head. Inspection under ultra violet light is not satisfactory due to the thick varnish. Offered in a modern wooden 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."

We are grateful to Dottor Francesco Petrucci for endorsing the attribution on the basis of photographs. The painting is most likely from a series of bust-length apostles and patriarchs of similar dimensions datable circa 1670, when Baciccio had come under the influence of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Petrucci compares the series to Bernini's sculptures of the Doctors of the Church in the Cathedra Petri in Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome and suggests the series may have once belonged to the Marqués del Carpio (see F. Petrucci, Baciccio, Rome 2009, p. 570, cat. no. D12, reproduced.) Del Carpio was the Spanish ambassador to Rome from 1677 to 1683 and subsequently Viceroy of Naples until his death.