After Pier Francesco Mola (Italian, 1612-1666) Tancred rescued by Erminia and Vafrine after the Battle of Argante Oil on canvas 29 x 36-1/2 inches (73.7 x 92.7 cm) PROVENANCE: (Possibly) Baron Carlo Chiarandà, Milan; (Possibly) His sale: Canetta, Milan, May 30, 1939; Giorgio Tozzi, Chicago, Illinois; Private collection, Los Angeles, California. The present work is a faithful copy of Pier Francesco Mola's elegant treatment of the subject of the wounded crusader Tancred being revived by Erminia and Vafrine of circa 1650s in the Louvre (inventory no. 399), a work acquired in 1685 by King Louis XIV. Mola's scene derives from Torquato Tasso's epic poem Jerusalem Delivered (1581), which tells a mythologized account of the first crusade in the 11th century, when Christian knights fought to take Jerusalem. Tancred, Prince of Galilee and a Christian warrior, lies wounded after having just slain the giant Argantes, who lies dead on the far left. Mola's painting focuses on the late climactic moment in the story, when at dusk near the crusader camp, Erminia (Princess of Antioch, who is in love with Tancred) and Tancred's squire Vafrine, spot the wounded hero on the ground. When Erminia recognizes his weak voice, she leaps from her horse and weeps over him. Vafrine tells her that there is still time to cure his wounds and save his life, and removes Tancred's armor, which Mola shows discarded at his feet. Unlike Poussin who painted two powerful versions of this subject, Mola did not show Erminia cutting off her long hair to use as bandages to bind his wounds. The ministrations of Erminia and Vafrine enabled Tancred to regain consciousness, and he was carried into the city of Jerusalem to recover, but not without first insisting that Argante be given a proper burial. HID03101062020 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

Lined canvas. Mild frame abrasion at edges. Yellowing to the varnish layer. Faint, finely patterned craquelure throughout. Scattered minor surface abrasions and scratches. A very few scattered small dots of loss. Mild surface dirt and dust. Not examined out of frame due to size.
Under UV: heavily applied varnish fluoresces green, somewhat obscuring the picture surface. An older treatment campaign is faintly visible beneath the varnish, appearing as dots of brushy retouching and strengthening to foliage and ground in the left side of the work, and as finely applied dashes throughout appearing to address craquelure. A more recent campaign fluoresces above the varnish, comprised of a few small dots of retouching in the sky, three small brushy dots in lower left quadrant to the left of the crouched male figure, and a circular brushy area near right edge above the horse's head.
Framed Dimensions 35 X 42.5 X 2.25 Inches Heritage Auctions strongly encourages in-person inspection of items by the bidder. Statements by Heritage regarding the condition of objects are for guidance only and should not be relied upon as statements of fact, and do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Heritage. All lots offered are sold "AS IS"