Bacchanalia, oil on canvas, 97 x 129.5 cm, framed

Provenance:
European private collection

The attribution of the present painting has been confirmed by Professor Riccardo Lattuada after examining the painting in the original.

This previously unpublished painting is closely related to a signed canvas by Nicolò de Simone of the same subject formerly in Genoa, private collection, 100 x 123 cm (see N. Spinosa, Civiltà del Seicento a Napoli, exhibition catalogue, Naples 1984, p. 255, no. 268). A second composition depicting the same subject is in Naples, private collection, 100 x 130 cm (see V. Farina, La fortuna napoletana dei ‘Baccanali’ di Tiziano, in: Paragone, 2007, p. 33, pl. 38; N. Spinosa, Pittura del Seicento a Napoli da Caravaggio a Massimo Stanzione, Naples 2008, p. 238, no. 139, 115 x 148 cm).

The existence of at least three Bacchanalia by Nicolò De Simone, which show similarities and variations of the composition, is not surprising, as during the 1630s paintings by Titian the Worship to Venus and the Andrians (both Madrid, Prado Museum) were very popular. The Titian paintings had arrived in Naples in 1633 as a gift from Prince Ludovisi to the King of Spain, and they remained there for around four years until they were removed to Spain. Titian’s works inspired a great number of paintings on the same subject, including new interpretations of these compositions by Nicolas Poussin in his first years in Rome. The example of the French master, together with the paintings of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, who was active in Naples in 1635, were among the most important sources of inspiration for Nicolò de Simone. Spinosa states that the De Simone´s Genovese canvas dispalys “quite clearly an affinity in the iconographic and typological solutions” with the painting by Massimo Stanzione from circa 1633 depicting the same subject for the Palace of Buen Retiro in Madrid (Madrid, Prado Museum). At the same time, there is a similarity to the two Bacchanalia by Andrea de Lione (formerly Matthiesen, London; Hotel Britannique, Naples), executed shortly after 1640. Spinosa offered the hypothesis that a now lost prototype by Nicolas Poussin existed that was used by Stanzione, De Lione and De Simone (Spinosa, op. cit., 1984, p. 255, no. 268, and Spinosa, op.cit., 2008, p. 238 no. 139).

The layout of the present composition is enriched with a pictorial treatment with opulent materials and colours, typical features of the artist’s works. The same pictorial qualities of the Genovese canvas can be found in the present canvas, including the lively colours and quick brushstrokes.

Lattuada has suggested dating the present composition to the second half of the 1630s, immediately after Giovan Benedetto Castiglione’s stay in Naples between 1635 and 1636.

We are grateful to Professor Lattuada for his help in cataloguing this lot.