Description
Marco Liberi (Venice c.1644 – after 1691) – Saint Anthony of Padua with the Christ Child.
Oil on canvas, unframed.
Son and pupil of Pietro Liberi (Padua 1605 – Venice 1687), one of the leading figures of Venetian painting in the second half of the 17th century, Marco Liberi trained in his father’s workshop. There he worked alongside his father for many years and inherited his stylistic legacy. He was active mainly in Venice, where he painted both sacred and secular subjects, following the elegant and sensual taste that had made the workshop so successful.
The painting shows the hallmarks of the artist’s language: soft, luminous flesh tones modelled with delicate chiaroscuro, and a warm palette built on golden and brown hues. The brushwork is fluid and confident, especially in the rendering of the habit and the background. Stylistic comparisons with the artist’s documented works allow the canvas to be attributed to him with confidence.
The composition shows the Saint at half length, in his Franciscan habit, hands joined, gazing upwards. The Christ Child stands on a cloud and embraces him around the neck, pressing his smiling face against the Saint’s cheek. The luminous golden background, crossed by clouds, emphasises the supernatural nature of the vision. In the lower left corner, the branch of white lilies recalls the Saint’s iconographic attribute of purity.
Condition report: Lined canvas. Good state of preservation of the painted surface.
