(Rome 1574–1616)
Christ among the doctors,
oil on canvas, 117.5 x 162.5 cm, framed

We are grateful to Gianni Papi for suggesting the attribution and for his help in cataloguing the present painting.

Orazi Borgianni (Rome 1574–1616) replicated this popular subject on various occassions throughout his career. Anoter version of Christ Amongst the Doctors probably belonged to Juan de Lezcano, secretary to the Conte de Castro, Viceroy of Naples (In the inventory of Juan de Lezcano drawn up in 1631 at the time of his last will and testament, the following painting is recorded: ‘La disputa di Cristo con los doctors quadro mediano del dicho Borigian original’. Another ten paintings by Borigianni are listed in the inventory; see G. Labrot, Collections of paintings in Naples 1600-1780. The Provenance Index of the Getty Art History Information Program, Munich-London-New York-Paris, 1992, p. 56). It was formerly in the Almagià collection and was sold recently at Sotheby’s London, 4th July 2012 (lot 30), (see: F. Zeri, Orazio Borgianni: un’osservazione un dipinto inedito, in: Paragone 83, 1956, pp. 49-53; G. Papi, Orazio Borgianni, Soncino 1993, pp. 117-118; M. Gallo, Orazio Borgianni pittore romano (1574-1616) e Francisco de Castro conte di Castro, Rome 1997, pp. 116-117, 1231, n. 90; A. Vannugli, La collezzione del segretario Juan de Lezcano, in ‘Atti della Accademia dei Lincei’, CDVI, 2009, 3, 2009, pp. 403-407). Several other versions of this subject have also been the object of scholarly debate over their status as fully autograph works, autograph works made with the aid of assistants, or copies.

The present painting is a new, unpublished, version of Christ Amongst the Doctors. Its dimensions are considerably larger than those of the Lezcano-Almagià painting, which measures 78.2 x 104.6 cm. Over time it has suffered a little surface abrasion, leading it to appear a little worn in places. As a result of this, in the Papi’s opinion, certain passages of the painting appear a little discordant, but it is possible that this is due to the presence, alongside Orazio, of an assistant who may have completed the work.

Whilst remaining faithful to the composition and to the number of figures present in the prototype, the present version differs from it in many aspects: firstly in the decidedly larger scale of the figures owing to the greater size of the canvas, as well as in the altered colour of the clothes worn by the protagonists, most notably the scarlet tunic of Christ is changed to purple in the new painting. The features of the surrounding figures and their spatial relationships are also altered. Small noses are made hooked (or vice-versa) and their apparent age (as in the doctor on the left) is changed. The figure in the background leaning forward between the two doctors behind Christ is more clearly visible in the new version and is positioned higher, so that now his whole nose can be seen. The mantle that rests over the head of the doctor to the left wearing eyeglasses, is arranged differently in each painting and, in general, the fall of drapery in each painting shows subtle changes. The depiction of the faces and of the turbans (especially the two red ones with white bindings) of the doctors behind Christ, and of the figure on the right, are of a high quality. This would be even more evident, were it not for the surface abrasions mentioned above. According to Papi this quality clearly reveals the direct intervention of Borgianni; the delicacy of the colouring and the soft lighting are typical of his work. In other parts of the painting the pictorial force seems attenuated, and we might think of the intervention of a collaborator. Such is the case in the yellow mantle of the figure to the right, or in Christ’s tunic, while the overly bright white in the eye of Christ is more likely due to the loss of surface varnishes, which moreover are clearly visible in this passage and generally throughout the whole surface of the Sotheby’s painting, which is in outstanding condition.

The exceptionally large dimensions of the present painting, the largest of all the versions of this subject, make it hard to identify it with a Christ Amongst the Doctors cited in the documents. That is, the one recorded in the inventory of the collection of the Roman cardinal Decio Azzolino, drawn up in 1675: ‘Tela d’imperatore a giacere, historia di Christo fra i dottori. Mano del Borigiani, cornice alla fiorentina intagliata e dorata’ [‘Imperial sized canvas, horizontal, story of Christ amongst the doctors. Hand of Borigiani (sic.), Florentine style carved and gilded frame’] (see T. Montanari, Il cardinal Decio Azzolino e la collezione d’arte di Cristina di Svezia, in: Studi Secenteschi, XXXVIII, 1997, p. 252, n. 139). As is well known, an imperial canvas measures 100 x 130 cm.

Papi believes the present canvas should be dated at a distance of a few years from the Almagià canvas, this new version could belong to the last period of Orazio’s life.