The Annunciation to the Shepherds

Details

LIVIO MEHUS (OUDENAARDE C. 1630-1691 FLORENCE)
The Annunciation to the Shepherds
oil on canvas
33 5/8 x 39 1/2 in. (85.5 x 100.4 cm.)

Provenance

Acquired by the present owner circa 1995.

Sale Room Notice

We are grateful Francesca Baldassari for endorsing the attribution to Levio Mehus (private communication, 22 May 2023).

Please note that the literature reference ‘M. Gregori, 70 pittore e sculture del '600 e '700 Fiorentino, Florence, 1965, p. 54,
no. 27, illustrated.’, and the first line of provenance ‘Giancarlo Giraldi, Florence, by 1965.’, published in the printed catalogue, refer to a different version of this composition.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

Though born in Flanders, Lieven Mehus moved with his family to Milan around the age of ten, where he changed his first name to 'Livio'. A favorite of Prince Mattias de’ Medici, he collaborated with Pietro da Cortona on the decorations of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence in 1645 and, following trips to Genoa, Lucca, Piedmont and Lombardy, re-entered the Prince's service, assisting with the decoration of the Medici villa at Lappeggi. This painting is a striking example of Mehus' innovative and individual approach to painting, best characterized as a synthesis of the variant traditions he encountered in his travels.

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