Giovanni di Marco, also known as Giovanni dal Ponte (1385-1437), God the Father sending the dove of the Annunciation, c. 1415. Tempera on cusp-shaped panel mounted in the 18th century; carved and gilt wood frame, 47.5 x 47 cm. Moretti Fine Art Ltd, London at Frieze Masters, (Stand D1) 17 to 20 October 2013
LONDON - Moretti Fine Art, with galleries in galleries in Florence, New York and London, will be exhibiting at Frieze Masters (Stand D1), staged on Gloucester Green in Regent’s Park, London, from 17 to 20 October 2013. Fabrizio Moretti, a member of the Selection Committee for Frieze Masters, said: “After the fair’s success last year, Moretti Fine Art is thrilled to participate in the second edition of Frieze Masters. We plan to exhibit high quality pieces that underline the timeless character of truly extraordinary Italian Old Masters”. The 2013 fair will feature some 120 of the world’s leading galleries in ancient to modern art from fifteen countries. Coinciding with, and within walking distance of, Frieze London, the two fairs will make the city the focus of the international art market in October.
Amongst the fine paintings to be shown by Moretti will be God the Father sending the dove of the Annunciation by Giovanni di Marco (1385-1437), also known as Giovanni dal Ponte. At one time, this panel was the crowning piece of a larger work. At a later date, probably towards the end of the 18th century, it was inset within an engraved, gilt, square panel; the ensemble then inserted into a coeval Roman frame.
Such a unique reconfiguration brings to mind the initial stages of a period defined as the Rediscovery of the “Primitives” when the concept of Primitivism was much debated by art critics the world over. Some viewed it as an attempt to connote the phenomenon as a return to a more sincere spiritualism whilst others saw it as progressive. The framing is notable in that it places the work among the sparse ranks of other re-arranged pieces and similar survivals can be found in the Tacoli Canacci collection.
Another important feature is the distinctive nature of the subject. During the later, relatively mature, phase of the Gothic movement in Florence, the theme of the Annunciation – as taken from the Apocryphal Gospels – was usually represented by God sending a dove, sometimes accompanied by a tiny Baby Jesus in flight already bearing the cross of His martyrdom. Other works by Giovanni di Marco, an important figure in late Florentine Gothic art, such as the panels in Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, have a similar treatment.
Research suggests that the other components of the ‘lost’ or dismantled work, all dated to circa 1415, are in various European museums: the Annunciation is in the Bartolini-Salimbeni-Vivai Collection, Florence, the Santi are in the Museo Medievale e Moderno, Arezzo, and the predella is in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels.
Fabrizio Moretti opened his gallery in Florence in 1999 with the inaugural exhibition From Bernardo Daddi to Giorgio Vasari and soon established a respected reputation in the field of Italian Old Masters. The gallery works closely with the most notable scholars and public institutions and is known for its dedication to research and for handling works of the highest quality as well as for making this particular area more accessible to private collectors. In 2005 Moretti opened a gallery in London followed in 2007 with the gallery in New York in collaboration with Adam Williams Fine Art, just steps from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In December 2011, Moretti Fine Art moved its London headquarters to 2a-6 Ryder Street in St James’s, SW1. Moretti Fine Art takes part in the annual Master Paintings Week as well as being a regular exhibitor at TEFAF Maastricht, the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris and the Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato di Firenze.