PAINTER OF THE 18TH CENTURY Saint Catherine of Alexandria Oil on canvas, 75.5X55.5 cm Provenance: Rome, Finarte, 4 April 1979, lot 315 (as Simone Cantarini/attribution by Ferdinando Bologna) Italy, private collection Attributed by Ferdinando Bologna to Simone Cantarini (Pesaro, 1612 ; Verona, 1648), the canvas exhibits first and foremost a refined elegance and quality, which is particularly noticeable when observing the dress and face. Having said this, an analysis of the style reveals discrepancies with the Pesaro artist's output, manifesting an erudition more compatible with Tuscan culture and in particular with Capitoline culture with Emilian influences. This explains the possible attribution given in the years following the Finarte sale to Virginia da Vezzo (Velletri, 1601 ; Paris, 1638), probably suggested by the draperies that are reflected in the Self-portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria painted by the artist around 1625. However, the work expresses a greater maturity, hence a dating towards the middle of the 17th century.