Attributed to Gregorio Pagani

Attributed to GREGORIO PAGANI (Florence, 1558-1605).
"Abraham and the angels".
Ink on paper.
Measurements: 18 x 23 cm.

In the exquisite ink on paper of "Abraham and the angels" that is tendered we can observe the development of Gregorio Pagani's expressive style, as well as the effective positioning of the figures to describe the narrative presence. Despite its scarce contextualization, we can deduce that the scene represents the episode known as the appearance of Mambré, narrated in chapter 18 of Genesis (1-5). In it, Yahweh and two angels (figures later interpreted as a prefiguration of the Trinity) appear to Abraham in the oak grove of Mamre, in human form. On this occasion only the two angels are represented, without the figure of Yahweh. The patriarch welcomes these guests in his house and feeds them, and during the meal one of his guests reiterates that his wife Sarah will have a son a year later.
Son of the painter Francesco Pagani, Gregorio Pagani worked in a late mannerist language and became the most important painter of his time in Florence. He trained at Maso da San Friano (1536-1571), then continued with Santi di Tito (1536-1603), a counter-mannerist painter. His style was influenced by that of Ludovico Cardi dijo Cigoli (1559-1613). Together they learned from the Venetian and Emilian schools, and studied the work of Correggio (1489-1534). Pagani was also a friend of the painter Bartolomeo Carducho (1560-1610), who brought him the influence of Spanish art. Among his pupils, Cristofano Allori stood out above all. Today his works are preserved in numerous churches in Florence (Frescoes of the Chiostro Grande of Santa Maria Novella, in Convento dei Cappuccini di Monturghi) as well as in the Palazzo Pitti, the Uffizi Gallery in his hometown, the Hermitage Museum and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.