Lot 1231 Dα

Alessandro Turchi was born in Verona where he was taught to paint by Felice Brusasorzi. He later moved to Venice and is documented in Rome as of 1613. As a “Roman” painter of the 17th century, his works are heavily inspired by those of the titan Caravaggio but also those of Carracci and Guido Reni. The latter two artists pursued a more classical style than that of Caravaggio.

Alongside numerous commissions from private patrons and the church, Turchi was also a popular painter of cabinet pieces. Nowadays these can be found in museums throughout the world, including the Louvre, the Prado, the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, and the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart. His great work “Bacchus and Ariadne” is kept in the Hermitage in St Petersburg, and the Gemäldegalerie Dresden houses his “Venus and Adonis”.

Federico Zeri discovered this work in the Reggio Emilia in 1997 and identified it as the work of Alessandro Turchi (entry no. 32353 with the Fondazione Zeri). A contemporary copy of the piece was sold by Bonham's in London in 2018 (24.10.2018, lot 165). This Old Testament seduction scene was painted by numerous artists throughout the centuries, and was particularly popular as a cabinet piece due to its sensual component. Potiphar's wife accused Joseph of rape after he rebuffed her advances, which eventually led to his arrest after falling out of favour.

We are grateful to Dr. Daniela Scaglietti Keleiscian for endorsing the attribution. The painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raissonée.