Ambiguous Siciolante

With word ambiguous I mean a painting of Girolamo Siciolante(1521-1575), Italian painter of Sermoneta, who had painted an altarpiece on slate(Fig.1); this altarpiece was commissioned, perhaps, by Antonio Caetani, for Franciscan convent of Cisterna, next Sermoneta, then ready feud of Caetani, this painting has a history for his attribution very dynamic; a visit and description of 1685, of a Franciscan monk, Ludovico da Modena, describes this altarpiece:…are 7 altars(in church)Saint Anthony Abbot dedicated, whose is image painted on stone(slate), that represented him together father…Saint Paul on feet and they look Virgin painted on superior part with Christ baby. On sides are few angels that adore her…”[1], unfortunately today this altarpiece is alone half, because right part is lost, but charming moment of this altarpiece is signature(Fig.2), that in conformity with evidence would be of Tullio Siciolante, son of Girolamo who would has painted this altarpiece; but the logic says other, this is: data that we see documents that: “Tullius Siciolantes anno Domini M.D.LXXII  hanc Beatae Mariae imaginem aetatis vero suae XX pinxitet obit(Tullio Siciolante in year of Lord 1572 this painting of Virgin he has painted at his age of 20 years”; this would be in conformity with text wrote, but this is very false, because Tullio Siciolante died at same year, 1572, and is very difficult that a dead can paints; in conformity with opinion of John Hunter[2] this is alone a homage of Girolamo to his son by now dead, in fact Hunter says: “Inscription that is present on painting Tullius Siciolantes anno Domini M.D.LXXII  hanc Beatae Mariae imaginem aetatis vero suae XX pinxitet obit, isn’t sign of Tullius but alone declaration of his father”. In fact this painting is very next to Siciolante for to be of other painter, Hunter had identified model for this painting with Virgin of Saint Bartholomew in Bologna(Fig.3); and in fact the style is same for cloth very heavy, and translate that of Virgin in Diocesan Museum of Sermoneta(Fig.4), and that of altarpiece in Caetani castle(Fig.5), in Sermoneta, the face of Virgin that is equal with typical face of Siciolante; certainly some collaborator was present for this altarpiece, and perhaps also Tullio, but this painting is almost all of Girolamo, and data is 1572.

Alessandro Lusana

 

Fig.1

Fig.2

Fig.3

Fig.4

Fig.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Archives of Saint Francis Ripa, Rome, MS.13.

[2] J. Hunter, Girolamo Siciolante, Rome 1991, p.83, note 2.