About this lot

Description

Francesco Pascucci (1748 - after 1804)

The Adoration of the Shepherds; and The Holy Family beneath a palm tree resting in Egypt
the first signed and dated ‘I. F. PASCVCCI 1779’ (on the manger)
inscribed with titles and provenance (on the reverse)
oil on canvas
69 x 93.5cm, a pair

Provenance:
Acquired in Rome in 1826 by Everson Harrisson,
Thence by descent to the present owner

Francesco Pascucci, or Pascuccio, trained in Rome where he became known for painting portraits of foreign visitors, including Oswald von Mering of Cologne (1793), C.W. Schüller of Rotterdam and the French prefect, Fauchet, whose portrait is now in the Musée de Draguignan. Little is known about his life, though it is recorded that he spent part of his career in France. He also painted religious subjects, including the Sacrifice of Isaac and Moses with the Tablets of the Law for Livorno Cathedral, Tuscany, and a few mythological paintings, such as the Capture of Troy in Pisa.

Framed 83 x 108cm

Both paintings are executed in oil on coarse weave canvas supports tensioned onto wooden strainers. The paintings are both unlined and old damages and tears have been patched from the reverse with canvas. The canvas tension on both works is poor and there are undulations across the surface. Stretcher bar marks have formed in the paint layers, in some areas the cracks are raised and lifting. Both paintings have a prominent network of age cracks which are pulling the canvas forward. In the painting set outside, the age cracks in the lower half are sharply raised. There is a puncture to the canvas with associated paint loss. In the interior scene, flaking is occurring the upper paint layers in the central figures clothing. Both paintings have varnish layers which appear relatively clear and even. Large but localised areas of overpaint are present on both works, although this is not extensive.

Back to lot listings