Lot 1008 Dα

The origin of the painter Girolamo da Treviso remains uncertain, although Giorgio Vasari makes mention of him in his "Vite". It is possible that he descended from the artist family Pennacchi from Treviso since he is occasionally called Girolamo Pennacchi. His works are closely related to the Venetian tradition of "Giorgionismo", but have their own style entirely, particularly recognisable by the figural depictions. A painting comparable to ours is in the Lakeview Museum (Arizona, USA). Here we see a similar St. Catherine in profile. The view to the landscape at right is related. After his stays in Bologna and at the court of Mantua,
Girolamo's life experienced an unexpected turn in 1538. That year he entered the services of King Henry VIII of England as a military engineer. In 1544, he participated in the first attack on Boulogne-sur-Mer where he was killed.
We thank Bernard Aikema for the confirmation that this painting is a work by Girolamo da Treviso.
Paolo Ervas will include this painting in his monograph on Girolamo da Treviso to be published shortly. Ervas dates to the work to after the frescoes in the Church of the Commenda, Faenza, of 1533.