NICOLA BERTUZZI known as L'ANCONETANO (Ancona, circa 1710 - Bologna, 1777) Battle between cavalrymen Oil on canvas, 56X81 cm Provenance: Private collection A pupil of Vittorio Maria Bigari, Nicola Bertuzzi was a celebrated history painter, producing altarpieces and complex fresco decorations. However, his best production can be seen by observing his easel paintings and, in particular, those sketch-like compositions in which he excelled in mastery. Indeed, quite a few of his creations have been attributed to important Veneto artists such as Marini, Nogari, Zais, Simonini and Guardi. The philological misunderstanding was most evident when critics grappled with the genre of the battle in which the Ancona artist has now assumed a prominent position thanks to Pietro di Natale's studies. Having said this, the canvases presented here, due to their nervous character and conduct as if they were sketches, can be judged qualitatively exemplary and their painterly ease can be compared to the Battles in the Pinacoteca Civica di Forlì recognised by Carlo Volpe (cf. G. Viroli, La Pinacoteca Civica di Forlì, Forlì, 1980, p. 308), as well as those in the Museo Correr in Venice, which before the interventions of Egidio Martini and Ruggeri were assigned to Casanova (cf. E. Martini, La pittura veneziana del Settecento, Udine, 1982, p. 29, footnote 57). Having said this, the canvases presented here can be thought of as companions to those belonging to the Museo Correr, accepting Egidio Martini's indications (cf. Martini 1982, p. 531) and the one illustrated here pertinent from a collector's point of view to the pendant canvas presented in the next lot (lot 180). We thank Pietro di Natale for confirming the attribution. Reference bibliography: E. Martini, La pittura veneziana del Settecento, Venice 1964, p. 240 (as Giuseppe Nogari) E. Martini, La Pittura del Settecento Veneto, Udine 1982, p. 531, fig. 713 U. Ruggeri, Nicola Bertuzzi 'falso veneziano', in Musei Ferraresi, 1982, pp. 118-121 P. di Natale, Nicola Bertuzzi e la Via crucis ritrovata, Bologna 2010, ad vocem