(Lugo 1711–1775)
An Allegory of the Arts,
oil on canvas, 123 x 160 cm, framed

Provenance:
art market, France;
where acquired by the present owner

We are grateful to Massimo Pulini for suggesting the attribution of the present painting on the basis of a photograph.

The painting depicts the interior of an artist’s workshop in which a young woman, probably an allegory of painting, is intent on drawing a sketch from a small, classically inspired sculpture. A young pupil on the right hands her a drawing of a male portrait, possibly a self-portrait of the artist, while a man behind her points to a large, barely sketched painting, on which Daphne is recognisable. In the background, a young woman seems to be focused on an engraving.

Benedetto Dal Buono was mainly active in Emilia Romagna, his works are characterised by a composed classicism with an interest in academic and literary subjects, as well as religious subjects. Initially trained in Forlì, Benedetto moved to Bologna, where he joined Girolamo Donnini’s workshop. There he remained until his master’s death, even refusing an invitation from the Savoy court to move to Turin to work on the decoration of the Royal Palace. Among the artist’s early works is the altarpiece with Saint Joseph between Saint Theresa and Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi executed for the Church of the Carmine in Imola and the Madonna and Child with Saints in the Church of the Suffragio in Lugo. He attended the Academy in Bologna, and then worked in the city, before returning to Lugo in the last phase of his life.