Ilario Giacinto Mercanti, genannt „Lo Spolverini“,... Lot n° 252

Pair of paintingsSLAUGHTER SCENES Oil on canvas. Doubled. Each 133 x 161 cm with painted horizontal oval. In decorative gilt frames. The two paintings depict battles with a theatrical backdrop within the transverse oval form: In the first, the sky lights up with strong silver flashes while buildings explode in the background, revealing the bodies of soldiers lying helplessly on the ground in the shadows. In the foreground on the right is the tent of a commander preparing to march out and, seen from behind, a chariot driven by a white horse. On the left, a group of soldiers can be seen turning around to watch the explosion that is taking place. Great attention is paid to the precise composition of the forms and poses of the figures populating the scene. Soldiers and horses in grisaille can also be seen in the background on the left. In the other painting, the attack on a town is depicted, with the troops entering through the door that leads them into the small village, where a bell tower and a small church can be seen, already shrouded in the clouds of the armory. We see soldiers trying to defend their town by any means necessary, resulting in horses and men falling outside the fortress. Soldiers are also stationed at the city gate, trying to keep the enemy away. This depiction also places great emphasis on forms, plasticity and movement. The artist studied under Franceso Monti (1646-1703) and specialized in the battle genre. It is unproven that he spent time in Venice with Monti around 1690, where he enriched his palette with tonal influences and the scenes with characteristic stains that were to characterize his style as he matured. Provenance: G. Baroni, Paris, 1962 (indication of the Zeri photo library). Circolo della Stampa (information from Sestieri). Literature: Giancarlo Sestieri: I pittori di battaglie. Maestri italiani e stranieri del XVII e XVIII secolo, 1999, p.481, 496 n.34. Zeri photo library, card no. 84512 and 84513 (1400901) (18) Ilario Giacinto Mercanti, also known as "Lo Spolverini", 1657 Parma - 1734, attributed Pair of paintings BATTLE SCENES Oil on canvas. Relined. Each 133 x 161 cm with painted horizontal oval. Literature: Giancarlo Sestieri: I pittori di battaglie. Maestri italiani e stranieri del XVII e XVIII secolo, 1999, p. 481, 496 n.34.