Terms and conditions of use
The three Marys at the sepulchre
(1641)
Medium
oil on copper
Measurements
46.7 × 38.7 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Collection of James O Fairfax AC. Presented by Bridgestar Pty Ltd through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program, 2020
Gallery location
16th & 17th Century Gallery - Painting and Sculpture
Mezzanine linked to Level 1, NGV International
About this work
Giovanni Francesco Romanelli was a pupil of the famed Italian Baroque architect and painter Pietro da Cortona, and assisted him with the decorations of the Palazzo Barberini in Rome, a vast project that took seven years to complete. The refined draughtsmanship and distinctive colour combinations of pinks, blues and gold that subtly shift in tone are a hallmark of da Cortona’s style and feature also in Romanelli’s work. This painting on copper is in outstanding condition and is a fine example of Romanelli’s more intimate easel pictures. It is likely to have been commissioned by Pope Urban VIII (Maffeo Barberini) in 1641.