Bologneser Meister, um 1580/ 1600 Lot n° 268

MARY WITH THE JESUS BODY, THE HOLY HELENA AND THE HOLY ANTONIUS, THE EREMITE Oil on canvas. Doubled. 96.5 x 80 cm. In partially gilded painted frame. In front of a stone building the seated Mary in reddish robe with veil, holding in her lap on a white cloth the blond-haired, naked boy Jesus. The latter, with a nimbus of radiance around his head, turns towards St. Anthony, the hermit, who is identified by his attributes, a bell in his left hand and a pig at the lower right edge of the picture. St. Anthony, with a long white beard, looks intensely and lovingly at the boy, holding in his hand an open book to which Jesus points with his index finger. To the left behind Mary stands St. Helena with a golden crown set with precious stones, next to her the "True Cross", the cross or rather the trunk of the cross of Jesus with the inscription "INRI" readable at the upper edge. Helena traveled to the Holy Land and found the cross of Christ, identified by the titulus. She is also said to have discovered the crown of thorns of Christ, which can be seen in the upper part of the depicted trunk of the cross. In the background of the right side of the picture view of few tree tops and architectural parts under evening sky. Minor retouching. (1300643) (18) Bolognese Master, ca. 1580/ 1600 THE VIRGIN AND CHRIST CHILD, SAINT HELEN AND ANTHONY THE HERMIT Oil on canvas. Relined. 96.5 x 80 cm.