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2001

Salvator Mundi 16th Century Oil Painting Framed by John D. Smith, Edinburgh c1830 [142941]

Currency:USD Category:Art Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Salvator Mundi 16th Century Oil Painting Framed by John D. Smith, Edinburgh c1830 [142941]
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Salvator Mundi Oil Painting, 16th Century, Unsigned

Beautiful example of early Christian artwork. Possibly circa mid 16th to mid 17th Century. Oil painting of the Christ Child, with a light golden radiant halo or nimbus; infant is cradling the Globus Cruciger. The theme is known as “Salvator Mundi.” He is depicted with a light blue blanket or swaddling cloth laying on a red cushion under a red drapery, both with gold trim. The painting is 17” wide and 14” high, on a thin wood panel, mounted on a canvas and wood understructure by nineteenth century Edinburgh framer and art dealer John D. Smith (1781-1855)

Description and Condition

No signature is visible. There is a consistent network of craquelure throughout the oil paint. The canvas and wood understructure retains pieces from two original paper labels from the frame maker. Most of both labels is missing, but a remnant piece of each one is still present where the adhesive held fast to the wood and the lettering remains legible. There are signs of early restorative work. There is some damage to the piece, although overall this artwork is in very good condition for its age. Please examine the high-resolution images carefully and notice the discoloration, the lacquer coating and areas where the paint has been rubbed or scraped off (on the hairline of the infant, on the left bottom quadrant, on the left wrist and on the swaddling cloth near the groin).

At first glance we believed this painting was done on canvas, which grew in popularity during the Renaissance period because it was much easier to transport than the thin wood panels typically used. Close examination reveals the application of a paper wrap that covered the edge of the original work, and wrapped around the edges of all four sides, adhered to the back panels of the wood framed canvas. Some original small square nails were removed from the edges and back of frame, but those around the edge holding the canvas to the wood are present, intact, and covered by the paper. The frame construction is of dual opposing wood wedge peg form. The original frame maker’s labels are on top of the paper wrap, evidence the paper wrap was applied during the framing process. Under magnification we found a distinctive worn corner which clearly shows the original painted thin board sitting on the canvas surface for support, with the painting’s edges now carefully covered by the thin paper wrap covering all four edges except where two corners are worn exposing the construction. Additionally, it appears a very thin hand painted border of gold trim was applied at one time, now, perhaps, mostly worn off.

The framework is attributed by the partial labels to the very famous frame maker, art dealer and author, John Smith, “Carver & Gilder” (John Douglas Smith 1781-1855). It is almost a certainty that this piece was once beautifully externally framed by John D. Smith, one of the most prolific, well known, and best documented framers of his time, though the external frame is now lost to history. The labels indicate Smith framed this piece while operating out of his business located at 9 Shakespeare Square, Edinburgh between 1827-1838.

At his Shakespeare Square location, Smith established himself as a leading art dealer and his firm became well-known in London, not only for framework, but also curatorial and restorative services under the management of Smith and his nephew. (John Stewart Smith). Smith’s nephew and his family continued operating Smith’s art business long after Smith’s death in 1855, and for three generations the company provided curatorial services on important collections for Lords Ellesmere and Ashburton. (The Bridgewater House collection at St. Jame’s and the collection at Bath House, Picadelly) According to A Dynasty of Dealers: John Smith and Successors 1801-1924, by Charles Sebag-Montefiore and Julia Armstrong-Totten (2013) Smith’s firm dealt in works by Masters including Rembrandt, Rubens and Vermeer and his clientele were some of Europe’s most prestigious collectors; Members of the Rothchild banking family, George IV (when he was Prince Regent), the Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel and William Beckford, appeared among many other famous names on Smith’s customer list. John Smith’s account books, stock books and other business records dating back to 1812, are held in the Victoria and Albert National Art Library in London. Further research into Smith’s work and business records could provide documentation definitively authenticating this piece of art, and may yield remarkable results. It is beyond the scope of our firm to perform this onsite research in London.

Another of John Smith’s great contributions to art history is his nine volume Catalogue Raisonne of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French Painters, which he published between 1829 and 1842. The date of publication suggests Smith compiled this catalogue at the Shakespeare Square location, which coincides with the address label on the framework of this painting, adding more intrigue to its possible origin.


Comments
The identification of John Smith as the framer of this piece when his firm was located in Shakespeare Square definitively ages this piece to 200 years old or older, but it was not uncommon for much older artwork to be re-framed long after its creation, often more than once. Considering Smith’s role as a top London art dealer who provided curation and restoration services to the elite, we believe that is the case here. Additional clues indicate this piece likely pre-dates John Smith’s time by more than a hundred years.

The use of board for paintings was the de rigueur of the fifteenth and early sixteenth century painters. As canvas came into vogue by the end of the sixteenth century, painting on wood panels became much less common. There are a number of reasons to suspect this panel is from a much larger work, which may explain the absence of the artists signature or mark. The limits of subject matter indicate the work is from a broader theological or theo-geographic theme.

In a cursory review of early works of the Salvator Mundi theme, one artist stands out with several paintings with remarkably similar bright yellow-gold halos over the Christ. Jacapo Robusti (1518-1594) known as Tintoretto (and followers), used a very similar subtle gold halo around the head of the Christ Child. The darker background is also very typical of the Caravaggio school (and many others), a striking visual painting style using differences in high contrast to accentuate subject matter and light forms. Taking all of the cursory evidence into account, it is quite possible this painting originated in the 16th Century or early-mid 17th Century.

Symbolism

Symbolism plays a key role in Christian artwork. Color is especially significant in renditions of iconic Christian figures: Blue (like the swaddling cloth here) symbolizes hope, red (the cushion and drapery) is a symbol of action or spiritual awakening and gold (the halo and the trim) symbolizes divinity. The globus cruciger has been represented in Christian art going back to the Middle Ages, but cross-bearing orb-like depictions date much farther back as a Universal symbol of authority, often of divine beings, Gods or Kings, over the world. It’s representation in Christian artwork is prolific during the 15th-17th Centuries. In the Christian context the cross represents Christ's dominion over the world, represented by the orb. In Western art when Christ himself holds the globe, as seen here, he is called Salvator Mundi. (Savior of the World)

The halo is one of the most distinct and widespread artistic symbols of divinity. The inclusion of a halo and it’s styling is significant in this piece, as it holds clues about the time period in which this piece originated, as well as the artists’ religious views and influences. Halos have been used in the iconography of many religions throughout the history of art to indicate holy or sacred figures, and sometimes, rulers or heroes. The halo was incorporated into Christian art sometime in the 4th century, adopted from earlier Pagan religions, and used for many centuries to identify Christ. In the earliest iconic images of Jesus Christ, He was the only figure shown with a halo. In very early Christian artwork (before the 5th Century) images of Jesus as a child rarely, if ever, crowned him with a halo, because as a child Jesus was not yet baptized; only post-baptism depictions of Christ included the halo at that time.

The decline of the use of the halo occurred over time. In Gothic artwork, Jesus starts to be represented as a man, rather than deity, but He stands out amongst other men because of His halo. While art in the Middle Ages began transitioning towards realism, halos were still a prominent and important feature of religious scenes. By the late Middle Ages, however, the large, solid, plate-like halos that stood out in Gothic art, began to shrink and eventually halos appeared as smaller discs floating above the head or less noticeable rings. As the Naturalism of Renaissance artwork exploded, some artists, like Michelangelo, began to cease use of the halo altogether. This trend spread, especially among Masters, whose skill level granted them the artistic license to depict “holiness” in a naturalistic way, eventually leading to the near complete disappearance of the halo. By the High Renaissance, even most Italian painters had dispensed with haloes. The extinction of the halo was just one indication of Europeans’ changing religious views and the undertone of growing dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church that sparked the Protestant Reformation. (1517)

The Church recognized naturalism in artwork as a reflection of the bigger problem of the Reformation and implemented measures to restore religious art to its former Glory. The Council of Trent 1545-1565 resulted in a Papal decree that mandated the use of halos in religious depictions, decoration and representation and prohibited nudity. This marked the start of a new period in artwork known as Mannerism, an important bridge between the Renaissance and the Baroque. (Also known as the Counter-Reformation)

As a result of the Counter-Reformation, artists of the Mannerism and Baroque periods in the late 16th century re-introduced the halo, experimenting with different styles and new forms, creatively reimagined to preserve the naturalism embraced by Renaissance artists. The 1500s was a period of time when a body of artwork done by one artist may exhibit a variety of different halos, as well as the absence of any halos at all in some of the artists early pieces, as seen in Rembrandt’s etchings. Artists supporting the Reformation minimized the appearance of Church mandated halos, sometimes representing them as only an inconspicuous, subtle glow of light, reluctant to compromise the focal point of their work. The shift to naturalism during the Renaissance that was responsible for the halo’s disappearance was also a factor in the widespread popularity of nudity in Renaissance art, inspired by earlier Greek and Roman works that highlighted the beauty of the naked human body. At the height of the Renaissance, Christ was frequently featured nude, with his genitals on display, both as a child and adult. As the Counter Reformation movement swept through the art world, nude depictions of religious figures were also forbidden. Many earlier Renaissance works were censored by the Church and could no longer be displayed. Art was destroyed in some cases or hidden away before dictates could be enforced. Many others, including works by the Masters like Divinci’s Last Supper were altered/painted over to cover the genitals. This practice became known as the Fig Leaf Campaign.

It is possible this painting was altered during the Fig Leaf Campaign and the original work depicted the Christ child fully exposed, as many Renaissance painting did. It appears to us that the part of the swaddling cloth that covers the groin looks like an added swatch of fabric that doesn’t quite match the rest of the cloth in the way it drapes over the child; the part that covers the genitals seems like a separate piece and appears out of place. This theory may also explain why the portion of blue cloth covering the groin of the Child Christ has been rubbed or scraped, possibly done intentionally in an attempt to reveal what might be painted beneath. We can only speculate. If this is the case, however, this painting may date evening earlier than the 16th century. We highly recommend additional research on this incredible painting. This piece could be a newly discovered Masterpiece.



Date: c1550-1650
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