(Genoa circa 1610 – circa 1645 Rome)
Joseph’s cup found in Benjamin’s sack,
oil on canvas, 105 x 147 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private European collection

Literature:
C. Manzitti, Luca Saltarello: un percorso artistico tra naturalismo e barocco, in: Paragone, 2006, p. 26, fig. 39 (as Luca Saltarello)

Luca Saltarello trained in Genoa between 1620 and 1630 with Domenico Fiasella (1589–1669) and worked for the rest of his brief career in Rome, where he died at a young age. Only one securely documented work by Saltarello is known: the altarpiece of Saint Benedict Reviving a Fallen Worker painted for the church of Santo Stefano, Genoa, which is signed and dated 1632. The comparison between this altarpiece and the present painting reveals a similar vigour and a comparable handling of light, as well as a similar characterisation of the figures, especially in the description of their features.

Saltarello executed another version of the present painting that was sold at Sotheby’s, Milan, 3 December 2002, lot 189, in which the arrangement of the figures and the horizontal composition are very similar, while the figure seen from the back on the left is identical. Manzitti has observed that in these two works, Saltarello’s realism is accentuated, as he explored new means of developing his painting style. Indeed, he absorbed the influence of various Flemish painters who settled in Genoa or visited the city for long periods. In particular Anthony van Dyck exerted an important influence on his early works. This is evident in the delicate style of his painting technique, which reveals a light handling of the brush.