The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting is in very fresh condition. The canvas has been lined. There are some cracks in a few old losses beneath and on the left arm of Christ. The paint layer is probably a little dirty and dusty, particularly around the signature, and has bloomed in the cross above the head. This picture should be lightly cleaned and the retouches, such as they are, could be improved. In general however, the condition is very good.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Recorded as an architect as well as a painter, Prospero Mallerini remains an elusive figure. No biographical details about him are known; however a document relating to his earliest known work, the Portrait of a Capuchin monk, said to be Fra' Viatore of 1794 in the Museo Francescano, Rome, states that it was commissioned from 'un pittore di Martinengo,' a town in the province of Bergamo in Lombardy, suggesting that Mallerini was indeed from there.¹  Despite this, Mallerini seems to have been active for most of his life in Rome and although an attempt has been made to trace his artistic development, his painted oeuvre remains rather small.²  Thankfully many of his paintings are signed and dated; the earliest 1794 and the latest 1829, jusಞt two years after the present work was painted. This picture is apparently unique for no other 'pure' still lifes by Mallerini are known, even though he was clearly interested in painting🙈 still life elements in a naturalistic way and often inserted them into his religious altarpieces.

Mallerini was patronized by the influential Barberini family in Rome, for in 1802 he signed and dated a Family portrait with don Carlo Barberini and in 1837 a sferisterio was built upon his designs in the Palazzo Barberini at the Quattro Fontane (a smaller version of the arena built at Macerata, intended for outdoor sports and musical events).³  The Family portrait mentioned above incorporates still life elements that are described with astonishing naturalism, and this seems to be characteristic of Mallerini's work. His altarpiece of San Giovanni Battista della Concezione painted for the Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome, itself signed and dated 1829,⁴ includes numerous objects that find parallels in the present work: the vanitas still life elements of a skull and an open book in the foreground, and the trompe l'oeil engraving of the Madonna in the background, on which Mallerini signed anꦆd dated his altarpiece.

The objects in this trompe l'oeil painting are represented life-size and are shown in what appears to be a makeshift cupboard of a private chapel; the white drapery that acts as a curtain is drawn back casually to reveal what lies within. The wood-grain of the planks that act as a backdrop are remarkably realistic and Mallerini delights in painting the objects' contrasting textures: the polished surface and weight of the bronze crucifix contrast the softness of the white drapery, with its gentle folds and delicate green tassels. The lightness of the pages in the open book lower left contrast the solidity of the skull that weighs them down: this is also true of the vanitas still life elements in the foreground of the altarpiece in San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and in the Portrait of a Capuchin monk. The real subject of the latter is not the monk who is portrayed, but the woolen cloth he wears, the knotted cord around his waist, the inkwell and quill in the foreground, and the ivory crucifix behind him. Here there are no distractions: our attention is focused entirely on the objects Mallerini presents to us and the vanitas message is underlined not only by the presence of the skull but by the extinguished candle the bronze putto holds. The precision with which he describes each object suggests that they were painted from life: they may have been props in the artist's studio or, more likely, these objects belonged to a Roman family - such as the Barberini - and the painting is the result of a specific private commission. The bronze statuette of a putto is loosely based on a type by Roccatagliata whilst the bronze crucifix appears to be modelled on a Giambologna type, an example of which is in the convent of Santa Maria degli Angiolini, Florence.⁵

1.  Museo Francescano, Rome, inv. 640/40; see L. Barroero, "Prospero Mallerini: appunti per un pittore sconosciuto," in Prospettiva, nos. 33-36, 1983-84, p. 339, footnote 7, reproduced p. 335, fig. 1. The portrait was painted in 1794, two years after Fra' Viatore's death.
2.  See Barroero, op. cit., pp. 334-39.
3.  For the portrait see A. Busiri Vici, "Un singolare gruppo di casa Barberini del 1802", in L'Urbe, vol. XXXIII, 1970, no. 3, pp. 1-8, figs. 1-14.
4.  Reproduced in Barroero, ibid., p. 338, fig. 9. The date has been variously read as 1819 and 1821 but is actually 1829.
5.  The Roccatagliata putto is datable to circa 1600 and the Giambologna to circa 1590. For the latter see C. Avery & A. Radcliffe eds., Giambologna 1529-1609, sculptor to the Medici, exhibition catalogue, Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Museum, August 19 - September 10, 1978; London, Victoria & Albert Museum, October 5 - November 16, 1978; and Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, December 2, 1978 - January 28, 1979, p. 143, cat. no. 105, reproduced.