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 Ludovico Carracci, 'The Marriage of the Virgin', about 1590. |
Recent Acquisition
about 1590 Ludovico Carracci This delicate jewel-like painting shows the marriage of the Virgin to Saint Joseph as told in the 'Golden Legend'. Saint Joseph holds the flowering rod which identified him as the suitor who would marry the Virgin. Their marriage is sealed by a priest who gently joins their hands together under the gaze of a group of maidens similar in appearance to the Virgin. Saint Joseph's unsuccessful rivals stand to the right, one wearing a handsome turban and holding his stick behind his back. To give an additional human touch to the scene, Ludovico has introduced a young mother with her child in the foreground at the top of some stairs. While the mother concentrates on the event that is the subject of the painting, the child looks playfully at a little dog. Highly finished, with exquisite iridescent colouring, 'The Marriage of the Virgin' is an excellent example of the small-scale work that Ludovico produced in the late 1580s. The rich palette and dramatic lighting effects are reminiscent of the work of Federico Barocci (1535-1612), who was an important influence on Ludovico. Ludovico is said to have painted two small paintings on copper of this subject: one was in the church of S. Maria Lacrimosa degli Alemanni in Bologna, and the other in the collection of the Marchesi Tanari, Bologna. The Gallery's painting is almost certainly one of these. The other is in a private collection in Italy. On loan to the Gallery from a private collection since 1988, 'The Marriage of the Virgin' was accepted by H.M. Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the National Gallery in 2003. Oil on copper 41.3 x 32.4 cm Back to Recent Acquisitions 2003 |
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