Attributed to Francesco Curradi

Attributed to FRANCESCO CURRADI (Florence, 1570–1661)
“Moses Saved from the Waters.”
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 173 x 138 cm; 192 x 157 cm (frame).
With its striking presence and pictorial refinement, this composition depicts the episode of Moses saved from the waters—one of the best-known passages from the Old Testament—and stands as a particularly significant example of Florentine painting from the first half of the 17th century. The work has been attributed to Francesco Curradi, in connection with a larger compositional model of which several versions and replicas are known. Among the known versions, the so-called Pandolfini variant stands out in particular—a canvas measuring approximately 179 × 218 cm that presents the complete composition and whose execution has been directly attributed to Francesco Curradi. Comparison with this example allows us to place the present canvas within the sphere of influence of that model.
The scene depicts the pharaoh’s daughter, accompanied by her maids, at the moment she discovers the infant Moses, placed in a basket on the Nile by his mother to protect him from the decree ordering the persecution of Hebrew children. He approaches the narrative with his characteristic elegance, giving special prominence to the female figures and, above all, to the richness of their garments. The fabrics, of exceptional tactile quality, and the ornamental elements; the delicacy of the faces, the serenity of the poses, and the monumental construction of the figures find parallels in Curradi’s religious works preserved in public and ecclesiastical collections. His painting is characterized by a unique synthesis between the Florentine tradition of late Mannerism and a more restrained devotional sensibility, evident in the clarity of his compositions and the idealization of his figures.
Francesco Curradi was born in Florence in 1570 and developed his training and career within the city’s artistic milieu, initially associated with the Florentine Mannerist tradition. His career was linked to artists such as Jacopo Ligozzi and Cristofano Allori. Considered one of the leading figures in 17th-century Florentine religious painting, he focused particularly on sacred subjects, characterized by elegant figures, clear composition, and a remarkable attention to fabrics and decorative effects.