5
Fabrizio Santafede (Napoli - 1626)
Annunciation, surrounded by scenes of the Passion of Christ
H 177x136 cm
Expert opinion by professor Claudio Strinati: «It is a remarkable work, a precious testimony, in my opinion, of the first activity phase of the great Neapolitan painter who became one of the absolute protagonists of the Neapolitan artistic life of the first twenty-five years of the seventeenth century.The work here in exam, however, must be dated first and more precisely in the in which Santafede had the task, quite well documented in the sources, from the altarpiece of the main altar, depicting a Madonna and Saints, of Matera Cathedral, which although not signed is a certain and datable work around 1580-83. A comparison between the painting in question here and the colossal altarpiece from Matera confirms the reference to the young Santafede in our work as well as a similar dating, perhaps, for our painting, to be moved slightly forward, that is, to the middle of the last decade of the sixteenth century.
The scenes from the life of Christ around are very noteworthy to the Annunciation, in which the influences of the greats are clearly noticeablemannerists especially (but not exclusively) industrious Flemish a Naples in the second half of the sixteenth century like Teodoro d' Errico or Aert Mytens. Furthermore, it is still very strong in these splendid and fervent scenes the influence of Marco Pino da Siena, the great painter who had a presence in Naples was decisive and also significantly influenced Santafedeat its beginnings.
In the Annunciation, however, the connection is already evident, then favored by Santafede himself, with the great Florentine painting of the late Cinquecento on which Santafede, perhaps also under the influence of Belisario Corenzio who at that time in Naples held a sort of monopoly on larger clients, he modeled his magnificent stylistic signature of clarity and classical composure combined with a very noble and majestic expressiveness, also mindful of the lesson of the Roman school that he taughtcertainly knew and appreciated.
Magnificently preserved, our painting is therefore a beautiful testimony to the decisive turning point in classical painting Southern in the latter part of the sixteenth century.
Truely,
Claudio Strinati»