Beschreibung:

(Arezzo 1511–1574 Florence) An Allegory of Summer, oil on panel, 80.5 x 79.5 cm, framed The present painting is registered in the Fototeca Zeri under no. 16875 (as Giorgio Vasari Putti con spighe, with measurements 90.2 x 78.7 cm). Provenance: Collection of Hans von Pernull (1868–1949), London; his heirs; their sale, Christie’s, London, 27 November 1970, lot 38; Collection of Anna Moffo Sarnoff (1932–2006), New York; her sale, Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York, 22 January 1976, lot 78; where acquired by Alexandre Villiers; Private collection; where acquired by the present owner Literature: C. Davis, in: L. Corti/C. Davis/M. Daly Davis/J. Kliemann (eds.), Giorgio Vasari principi, letterati e artisti nelle carte di Giorgio Vasari Pittura vasariana dal 1532 al 1554, exhibition catalogue, Arezzo 1981, p. 45 (as Workshop of Vasari); L. Corti, Vasari. Catalogo completo, Florence 1989, p. 87, no. 66, illustrated (as Vasari, with measurments 90.2 x 78.7 cm); F. Härb, The Drawings of Giorgio Vasari 1510-1574, Rome 2015, p. 364, figs. 214.1 and 214.2 (as Vasari) C. Falciani, in: C. Falciani, P. Curie (eds.), La collection Alana. Chefs-d’oeuvre de la peinture italienne, exhibition catalogue, Bruxelles 2019, p. 172 (as Vasari) Technical analysis by Gianluca Poldi: The painting technique is coherent with Vasari’s practice. Reflectographic images indicate that the left arm of the right putto was originally drawn differently, not raised but outstretched towards the viewer, quickly drawn with open and schematic fingers, that held nothing. The drawing of that arm was retraced with the current position. It is possible that the ears of corn were added by the artist in a later elaboration of the subject. When the subject of the present painting is compared to the Study for a Ceiling Decoration conserved in the Art Institute Chicago (inv. 1922.42), it is possible to notice some general similarities with the putti in the corners, but not identical postures. Besides, in the drawing the putti do not present evident symbols or objects, therefore they do not seem to be allegorical subjects, while the putti in the present painting hold corn sheaves, so being probably an allegorical representation of one of the four seasons. Perhaps the painting can be compared to the subject of the lower left corner of the Chicago drawing: both the putti appear frontally, but in the present work they are tied by the legs and they pass each other ears of corn. In the drawing a putto holds a stem (possibly a synthetic note for the ear of corn?), while in the first underdrawing of the painting, as already discussed, there was no evidence of an object held at least on the right. Whether the Chicago design refers to this painting or not, it could have been a similar ceiling, or another graphic version of the same ceiling. As Reflectance spectroscopy analysis pointed out, the sky contains smalt blue pigment, partially discoloured. This pigment was frequently used by Vasari, as some researches confirm (see G. Poldi, Pigmenti, colore, sporco, alterazioni. Le analisi in riflettanza vis-NIR sulla ‘Pala Albergotti’, in: L’ingegno e la mano. Restaurare il mai restaurato. Il restauro della Pala Albergotti di Giorgio Vasari nella Badia delle Sante Flora e Lucilla di Arezzo, conference proceedings [Arezzo, Sala dei Grandi della Provincia, 28–30 March 2008], ed. by I. Droandi, Florence 2009, pp. 63–74), where not rarely the discolouration process profoundly changed the colour from bright blue to brown. In the present painting the hue is now bluish-grey, but it would have been more blue originally. The palette employed also includes lead white, lead-based yellow, vermillion, a good quality carmine-type red lake, yellow ochre and earths. Ceiling Decoration by Giorgio Vasari (Lots 22 and 23) These two paintings by Giorgio Vasari (lots 22 and 23) formerly belonged to part of a ceiling decoration. It has been suggested that these two compositions relate to a preparatory drawing for a ceili