Giovanni LANFRANCO (Parma, 1582 - Rome, 1647) Christ in the Garden of Olives Oil on copper (Restorations) In a gilded and blackened wood frame, 17th century Tuscan work Christ in the Garden of Olives, oil on copper, by G. Lanfranco 13.97 x 10.82 in. 35.5 x 27.5 cm Provenance: Beltrémieux Collection, La Rochelle, before 2022 Bibliography: related : Erich Schleier, Dello stile naturale. Zeichnungen des Giovanni Lanfranco, Museum Kunst Palast, Sammlung der Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf, Munich, 2006, pp. 42-44 and pp. 48-49 Rome, 1621: After a long pontificate, Paul V Borghese died and was succeeded by Gregory XV. The Carracci were no more and the Bolognese school had dispersed. Guido Reni returned to Bologna in 1614, and Le Domenichin and l'Albane followed him in 1617. Lanfranco now had enough space to make his mark, and that is exactly what he did with the decoration of the Crucifix Chapel in Santa Maria in Vallicella. A stronghold of Oratorian power in Rome, this church was preparing to celebrate the canonisation of Saint Philip Neri in 1622, and was embellished for the occasion. At the request of the Marquis Paganino, Lanfranco painted three scenes in the cul-de-four of the Crucifix chapel (fig. 1), depicting, from left to right, The Coronation of Thorns, The Flagellation and Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to Erich Schleier, our precious copper is a riccordo with variants (one rather than three angels take their place in the sky) that could be a counterpart to another copper that was sold at public auction in 2000 and depicted the central scene of The Flagellation<a href="#_ftn1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><i>[1]</i></strong></a>. Erich Schleier (1934-2023) confirmed the authenticity of our copper in 2022. We are indebted to him for the information contained in this notice. <a href="#_ftnref1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[1]</a> Anonymous sale; London, Sotheby's, 14 December 2000, lot 200 (Private collection, Ireland, in 2022) Giovanni LANFRANCO (Parma, 1582 - Rome, 1647) 35.5 x 27.5 cm Rome, 1621: After a long pontificate, Paul V Borghese died and was succeeded by Gregory XV. The Carracci were no more and the Bolognese school had dispersed. Guido Reni returned to Bologna in 1614, and Le Domenichin and l'Albane followed him in 1617. Lanfranco now had enough space to make his mark, and that is exactly what he did with the decoration of the Crucifix Chapel in Santa Maria in Vallicella. A stronghold of Oratorian power in Rome, this church was preparing to celebrate the canonisation of Saint Philip Neri in 1622, and was embellished for the occasion. At the request of the Marquis Paganino, Lanfranco painted three scenes in the cul-de-four of the Crucifix chapel (fig. 1), depicting, from left to right, The Coronation of Thorns, The Flagellation and Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to Erich Schleier, our precious copper is a riccordo with variants (one rather than three angels take their place in the sky) that could form a counterpart to another copper that was sold at public auction in 2000 and depicted the central scene of The Flagellation<a href="#_ftn1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>[1]</em></strong></a>. Erich Schleier (1934-2023) confirmed the authenticity of our copper in 2022. We are indebted to him for the information contained in this note. <a href="#_ftnref1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[1]</a> Anonymous sale; London, Sotheby's, 14 December 2000, lot 200 (Private collection, Ireland, in 2022)