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Lot Essay
Paolo Antonio Barbieri worked alongside his more famous brother, Guercino, managing his workshop and pursuing his own speciality of still life painting. Much is known about the paintings of both brothers because Paolo Antonio assiduously began to record the studio's receipts in an account book, which still exists, the Libro dei Conti (see B. Ghelfi, Il Libro de Conti del Guercino 1629-1666, 1997). As such, the references to his own work can be viewed as definitive. This amounted to fewer than forty paintings - all still lifes - listed over a period from 1629-1649. We are grateful to Dr. John Spike for noting that this picture can be convincingly identified with an entry dated '6 May 1635. Received from the Prior of San Giuseppe in Bologna, 25 ducats for the picture of Confections [confetture], made by me. Which sum is equal to: 34 scudos 1.10 lire'.
The prior who apparently commissioned the painting, is identified on other pages as Baldassare Torresani, a priest of the convent of San Giuseppe in Bologna, who was an active client of both the brothers during this period. What is remarkable is the existence, as noted by Spike, of a letter dated 3 May 1635, in which Paolo Antonio describes the Confetture to the prior, drafted on the back of a Guercino drawing now in the Royal Collection (D. Mahon and N. Turner, The Drawings of Guercino at Windsor Castle, 1989, no. 327). It predates the aforementioned Libro dei Conti record by three days, and apparently was the draft of a letter that was intended to accompany this picture from Cento to Bologna. Amidst the crossing-out, it is clearly legible that Barbieri writes that he had 'never before' painted a confettione, referring also to the care he took to make this picture, mentioning that some of the sweets were displayed in container, and others on the tabletop. Indeed, as Spike has observed, this painting is the earliest-known treatment of confectioner's delights in Italy, reminiscent as it is of the work developed around 1621 by the Spaniard, Juan van der Hamen.
We are grateful to Dr. John Spike for his assistance with cataloguing this lot.
The prior who apparently commissioned the painting, is identified on other pages as Baldassare Torresani, a priest of the convent of San Giuseppe in Bologna, who was an active client of both the brothers during this period. What is remarkable is the existence, as noted by Spike, of a letter dated 3 May 1635, in which Paolo Antonio describes the Confetture to the prior, drafted on the back of a Guercino drawing now in the Royal Collection (D. Mahon and N. Turner, The Drawings of Guercino at Windsor Castle, 1989, no. 327). It predates the aforementioned Libro dei Conti record by three days, and apparently was the draft of a letter that was intended to accompany this picture from Cento to Bologna. Amidst the crossing-out, it is clearly legible that Barbieri writes that he had 'never before' painted a confettione, referring also to the care he took to make this picture, mentioning that some of the sweets were displayed in container, and others on the tabletop. Indeed, as Spike has observed, this painting is the earliest-known treatment of confectioner's delights in Italy, reminiscent as it is of the work developed around 1621 by the Spaniard, Juan van der Hamen.
We are grateful to Dr. John Spike for his assistance with cataloguing this lot.