Domenichino, Saint John the Evangelist
late 1620s.
On loan from a private collection, © Private collection 2010
Domenichino masterpiece goes on display at the National Gallery One of the greatest works by the Italian Baroque master Domenichino (1581–1641) is to remain in Britain and is now on public display in Room 32 of the National Gallery, having been acquired by an anonymous private collector
May 26th 2010, source: National Gallery
One of the greatest works by the Italian Baroque master Domenichino (1581–1641) is to remain in Britain and is now on public display in Room 32 of the National Gallery, having been acquired by an anonymous private collector.
This is a tremendous outcome for the nation and a triumph of collaboration between the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) and the anonymous private collector, resulting from the application of the ‘Ridley Rules’.
Saint John the Evangelist (1620s) is the finest painting by Domenichino to remain in private hands and the most important example of his work in this country. Measuring 259 x 199 cm, this monumental oil painting is a must-see highlight for visitors to the Italian Baroque rooms of the National Gallery.
National Gallery curator Dawson Carr said: “Depictions of divine inspiration were a mainstay of Baroque artists, and the heroic pose and focused, serene gaze of Domenichino’s figure make it one of the finest interpretations of the classical tradition.
“Although Domenichino is well represented in UK public and private collections, none of the paintings can equal the grand scale and conception of this, one of his greatest easel paintings. It is undoubtedly the best work by the artist remaining in private hands and its export would have been lamentable for the representation of Italian Baroque painting in this country.”
This successful outcome comes just months after the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) placed an export licence deferral on the painting, owing to its outstanding aesthetic importance. It had already been sold to an overseas buyer for £9,225,250 at an auction in December 2009.
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