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Lot 78*
Attributed to Giuseppe Vermiglio(Alessandria 1585-circa 1635)A philosopher
5 July 2017, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £25,000 inc. premium
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Attributed to Giuseppe Vermiglio (Alessandria 1585-circa 1635)
A philosopher
oil on canvas, octagonal, made up to a rectangle
127.8 x 108.2cm (50 5/16 x 42 5/8in).
old inventory number '32' (on the reverse)
oil on canvas, octagonal, made up to a rectangle
127.8 x 108.2cm (50 5/16 x 42 5/8in).
old inventory number '32' (on the reverse)
Footnotes
Provenance
Tessier-Lavigne family, Montreal, Canada, since the late 19th century
Collection of Yves Tessier-Lavigne and by descent through the family until acquired by the present owner
The original octagonal canvas was let into a larger rectangular one, most probably in the late 17th century. The fact that some of the objects in the still life, such as the dividers, overlap both canvases indicates that these elements of the painting were added when the canvas was extended and that the original composition therefore consisted of the philosopher with his book.
Little is known of Vermiglio's life but he is recorded as being active in Rome by 1604 when he was in the studio of an Adriano de Monteleone. He remained in the city until about 1620, by which time he had returned to his native Piedmont. Whilst in Rome his work was profoundly influenced by Caravaggio but after his return North and later in his career a softer, more Reni-like approach is discernible. The present painting is comparable to Vermiglio's Saint James the Greater now in the Pinacoteca Repossi, Chiari, which has been dated to very shortly after his return to Piedmont.
Yves Tessier-Lavigne (1893-1977) was an academic and Doctor of Political Science who was affiliated to the University of Montreal. He was a member of a well-known Canadian family who came from France in the 17th century. Much of his art collection was offered by his heirs at an auction at Pinney's, Quebec, in 1983.