Florence Number Nine - Via del Poggio Imperiale 9, 50125 Firenze
Asta di Dipinti, Sculture e Disegni antichi Sessione Unica
Monday 14 October 2013 hours 15:00 (UTC +01:00)
Icilio Federico Joni (Siena 1866 - 1946) Madonna col Bambino, San Girolamo e...
Icilio Federico Joni
(Siena 1866 - 1946) Madonna col Bambino, San Girolamo e San Bernardino
tempera su tavola, fondo oro
cm. 97 x 42
The work by Joni is a faithful copy of the panel painting by Neroccio di Bartolomeo Landi preserved in the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena (no. 281), a mature work by the artist painted around 1476.
We learn most about Joni’s life from his autobiography Memorie di un pittore di quadri antichi, printed in 1932, in which he tells us about his experiences and many adventures with antiquarians, dealers and art historians. He is considered to be one of the most able forgers of all time, due to his great technique and interpretive mastery and was the leader of the group of Sienese forgers who specialised in fifteenth-century painting.
This fondo oro (gold leaf) piece was commissioned in the 1930’s by a member of the Serristori family and it remained in the family collection until November 2007, when it was sold at the auction of the Palazzo Serristori in Florence by Sotheby's.
The discovery of a black and white photograph in Joni’s archives by the photographer Brogi, is interesting for the notes on the quality of the colour written on the back by Joni and which he subsequently used in his workshop for the realization of this work.