Coming from a Swiss private collection and in a good state of preservation, the present painting depicts the Crucifixion: in a dramatic dark landscape with a city in the background, the Christ, at the center, is crucified on the cross. He is accompanied by the Virgin, on the left, praying while looking downwards, and by Saint John the Baptist, on the right, pointing to the Christ with his right hand. The elegant body of the Christ is remarkably modeled and stands out through its whiteness, which serves as the painting’s source of light, while the pink of the Virgin’s and Saint John’s draperies enlivens the composition and brightens the scene.

Stylistically, this painting at hand presents the characteristics of the Ferrarese school of the late 16th century and of the early 17th century; the influence, among others, of painters Ippolito Scarsella known as Scarsellino (Ferrara, 1550/1551–Ferrara, 1620) and Sebastiano Filippi known as Bastianino (Lendinara, c. 1536–Ferrara, 1602) is particularly strong. Close stylistic connections can also be observed between the present work and those of Giuseppe Mazzuoli known as il Bastaruolo (Ferrara, c. 1536–Ferrara, 1589) or Domenico Mona (Ferrara, 1550–Parma, 1602). We mention, for example, the handling of the powerful light, the muscular rendering of the Christ’s elegant body, and the remarkable care given to the heavy draperies, all betraying the hand of a painter of the Ferrarese Mannerist school. Among these artists, Gaspare Venturini appears to be the most plausible candidate for the attribution of this poignant Crucifixion. Documented in Ferrara between 1576 and 1593, the year of his premature death, Gaspare Venturini was a painter of the Ferrarese Mannerist school who remains mysterious and relatively little known. His short period of activity and the small number of works attributed to him make the study of the artist complex, hence the importance of the reappearance of the present panel. Among the examples of works attributed, on a documentary basis, to Gaspare Venturini are the painted ceiling decorations of the Palazzo dei Diamanti, commissioned by Cesare d’Este beginning in 1586. It is also known that, a few months earlier and for the same duke, Gaspare Venturini executed paintings for the ceiling panels of the duke’s library (five panels are preserved in Modena, Palazzo dei Musei).

The style of Gaspare Venturini is characterized by a taste for nocturnal scenes illuminated by a single light source, ingenious compositions incorporating figures in elegant poses, a balanced handling of colors with a particular preference for orange tones, as well as a distinctive and recognizable treatment of draperies with sharp, metallic folds. Comparing the present Crucifixion to works attributed to Gaspare Venturini, such as the Nativity of the Virgin in the church of La Madonnina in Ferrara (deposit of the Museums of Ancient Art of Ferrara), the Saint Cecilia in the Tosio Martinengo Picture Gallery (Brescia), or the Allegory of the House of Este, realized in 1592-1593, now in Modena (Palazzo dei Musei), one is struck by the similarity in the handling of colors, in the treatment of the light, and in particular of the draperies. These similarities demonstrate a strong stylistic kinship between the present Crucifixion and the art of Gaspare Venturini, even if they do not allow us to definitively attribute this new Ferrarese work to him. Nonetheless, it represents an important addition to the study of Ferrarese painting and perhaps to the œuvre of Gaspare Venturini.

We wish to thank Prof. Mauro Natale & Dr. Andrey Bliznyukov for their help.