Jacopo del Sellaio, studio of
Madonna with Child
Oil on panel (parquetted). 71 x 46 cm.
The present painting can be linked to a group of pictures representing the Madonna and Child which show very similar compositions and comparable facial types, attributed to Jacopo del Sellaio. Andrea de Marchi, who published the present work in 1991, compares it to a work now in the Berlin Collections (Berlin, Staatliche Museen, Preussischer Kulturbesitz, inv. n. 1417), but expresses some doubts on the autograpy of both works, suggesting that both belong to an hierto unidentified master. Another comparable composition of the Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John before a landscape, was formerly with Fabrizio Moretti.
Jacopo del Sellaio, who started his apprentship in the workshop of Fra´ Filippo Lippi, set up his own workshop, which was later passed on to his son, Arcangelo di Jacopo del Sellaio.
Madonnas in upright format, probably intended for private devotion, were not unusual in Sellaio production and testify a great popularity of the genre in late 15th Century Florence.
We are very grateful to Dr. Nicoletta Pons for confirming the attribution to the studio of Jacopo del Sellaio.