Attributed to Francesco Curradi

Attributed to FRANCESCO CURRADI (Florence, 1570 - 1661).
"St. John the Baptist."
Oil on canvas.
Preserves original canvas.
Measurements: 102 x 77 cm; 187 x 135 cm (frame).
This work is attributable to Francesco Curradi and reflects his refined technique. In it, San Juan Bautista appears represented as a young beardless, holding the cross of reeds with the phylactery where it is read "Ecce Agnus Dei", following the classic iconography but dispensing with the usual lamb, which enhances the individuality and presence of the saint. The nocturnal landscape of great depth, worked with a delicate play of light and shadow, enhances the pearly skin of the protagonist, which becomes the focus of illumination of the work. The young man's anatomy, rounded and delicate, together with the subtle facial features and the profile of the nose, emphasize his youth and fragility, while the red cloak adds martyrial symbolism.

Curradi, son of the jeweler Taddeo and trained with Giovanni Battista Naldini, developed a career centered on religious painting and commissions for Florentine churches from the end of the 16th century. His works include the "Preaching of St. John the Baptist" (1649) for the Rondoni chapel in Santa Trinita, and frescoes and canvases such as "St. Francis Xavier preaching in India" (1622) or the seven lunettes on the Story of Mary Magdalene in Villa del Poggio Imperiale. His style is characterized by the elegant composition, the expressive use of light and color, and the attention to anatomical and emotional detail, features that are fully appreciated in this work of St. John the Baptist, where the figure of the saint is delicate, solemn and full of spirituality.