Master Paroto and the origin of his quirky sweetness

 

The Polyptych by Master Paroto, “Madonna and Child with Saints,” 1447, is a work of great charm: for its features, that set it apart from the Lombard artistic production of that time, and for the mystery surrounding its author. The whole composition of the painting is almost exclusively resolved around the use of three colors and their respective shades. The elegance of the figures and their extreme formal stylization contrast with the warm vegetation on the bottom, where the search for naturalism is mixed with a precious decorative effect. The result is a perfect blend of both realism and abstraction.

 

The artwork, depicting the Madonna and Child with Saints, commissioned by the patron Father Francesco Afro, was born as a main altarpiece for the church of San Siro in Cemmo, Valcamonica and remained there until about 150 years ago. The author’s name (Paroto, or Pasoto) is known thanks to a transcript of the signature executed in the nineteenth century and thanks to the date already written on the bottom edge of the center pane, then lost.

 

There is only another work convincingly attributed to this author, preserved at the Foundation Bagatti Valsecchi in Milan. According to art historians, Paroto belonged to the lineage of painters active in Cemmo, whose artistic production can be found in the churches of Valcamonica and from which the same Pietro da Cemmo comes from, who could actually be Paroto’s son.

 

After many centuries spent in the church of San Siro, the painting began to wander, from private collections to museums including international ones. In Milan, for instance, it was part of the extensive collection of works of art owned by Michele Cavaleri. Bought by the banker Henry Cernuschi, the painting was then transferred to Paris. In the1960s, the artwork has reappeared at the Wildenstein Gallery in New York. The Foundation CAB has finally intercepted it at a Sotheby’s auction in London on 4 July 2012.

 

Among 99 other paintings, the work will be on display from 1 March to 1 June at the Palazzo Martinengo in Brescia, Italy.

 

July 18, 2015