Giovanni Battista NALDINI Florence, 1535 - 1591 The... Lot 317

Giovanni Battista NALDINI Florence, 1535 - 1591 The repentant Madeleine Oil on soft wood panel, a red wax stamp on the back 83 x 67.50 cm (32.68 x 26.57 in.) Provenance : Acquired by the father of the present owner in the years 1980-90 ; Private collection, Paris Comment: Trained by Pontormo and active at his side until the master's death in 1557, Naldini left for Rome around 1560 where he immersed himself in Raphaelesque models and in the manner of Michelangelo. On his return to Tuscany, his style changed profoundly and from 1563 onwards he became one of the artists who, together with Vasari, collaborated on prestigious Medici commissions. In 1564 he took part in the decoration of Michelangelo's solemn funeral in San Lorenzo, then worked on the decoration of the Salon of the Five Hundred at Palazzo Vecchio and that of Francesco I de' Medici's studio. The 1570s were the decade of major religious commissions, notably for Santa Maria Novella. Our Lady Magdalene belongs to the last decade of the artist's career, during which he worked mainly for the churches of Florence and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. In fact, we can compare the face of Mary Magdalene with the figure at the centre of the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple of the Duomo of Volterra, which was painted by Naldini in 1590. The tension in the psychology of the model, the acidulous and sought-after colours, the powerful underlying drawing and the liveliness of the brush in the execution contribute to make our panel a small masterpiece of the second Florentine mannerism. We would like to thank Mr. Michele Danieli for having kindly confirmed the authenticity of this painting based on a photograph and for his help in writing this notice.