Annibale Carracci's 'Montalto Madonna'

Larry Keith
Technical Bulletin Volume 29, 2008

Abstract

The Montalto Madonna by Annibale Carracci was a composition that achieved great fame in the 17th century, and was specifically praised for its beauty by Bellori in his 1672 'Vite'. Annibale’s original painting, however, had been thought lost until a version of very high quality, painted on copper, appeared on the art market in 2003. Investigation of the painting’s materials and technique and a careful reconstruction of its provenance provided crucial evidence to support the belief that this was the prime, autograph version painted around 1597 in Rome.

Keywords

Bellori, copper, copying, Cornelius Bloemaert, electron emission radiography, engraving

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To cite this article we suggest using

Keith, L. 'Annibale Carracci's "Montalto Madonna"'. National Gallery Technical Bulletin Vol 29, pp 46–59.
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/technical-bulletin/keith2008

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