Oil on canvas, laid down on panel
Italy, c. 1650
Attributed to Bernardino Mei (c.1615-1676) – Italian painter, etcher, graphic artist and draftsman; important representative of Sienese and Roman Baroque painting
Dimensions: 117 x 99 cm
Frame: 119 x 100 cm
Provenance: Private collection, Belgium

The present composition is attributed to the Italian Baroque painter Bernardino Mei and reveals the influence of Caravaggio and his followers, here especially represented by the Caravaggio-imitator Bartolomeo Manfredi (1580-1622). But Barnardino Mei was able to clearly modify the Caravaggesque style according to the clear colors of his Sienese painting tradition.

Condition:
The painting is in good condition, consistent with age. The canvas is laid down on panel. The paint surface is clearly craquelured; regarding particularly the light parts of the bodies. Inspection under UV light reveals scattered areas of retouching, especially to the mentioned craquelured parts. Larger areas of retouching can be found on Abel's right leg and left hand, Cain's hand and cloak as well as in the background. The stretcher measures 117 x 99 cm. The frame has some marks with small losses of material and measures 119 x 100 cm.

Bernardino Mei (c.1615-1676)
Bernardino Mei was initially active in Siena, but in 1657 he followed the call of the Sienese Pope Alexander VII and moved to Rome, where he became a member of the Accademia di San Luca in the same year. His oeuvre includes not only religious subjects, but also allegorical, literary and mythological compositions, he increasingly created from the 1650s. Mei received commissions from important Sienese and Roman noble families like the Ugurgieri, the Chigi and the Bandinelli clan. In the 1650s, Mei finally developed his mature style, that reflected Baroque painters like Pier Francesco Mola (1612-1666), as well as the sculptures by Bernini and the works of Reni, Caravaggio and Carracci. Works by Barnardino Mei are preserved, for instance, in museums in Italy. (cbo)  

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