Property of The Daughters of the Cross Italian, 16th Centur...

Hammer

£19,000

Property of The Daughters of the Cross

Italian, 16th Century, after Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)
'Le Cenacolo'
A very rare, early copy of Da Vinci's Last Supper

Oil on panel
With an extensive inscription on vellum attached to the reverse bearing several wax seals, including the Imperial seal of the Royal Academy, Milan.

Executed possibly pre 1515, certainly 16th century. Recorded by Domenico Pino, the author of the first monograph dedicated entirely to Leonardo’s Cenacolo and the Prior of the monastery for which the original Last Supper was made. He writes in 1796 as this painting being in the Santa Maria Delle Grazie di Milano and Guillon writes as “…l’autre petit, et non moins ancienne, mais peinte sur bois…elle était au temps du P. Pino dans le chambre de l’un de ses confreres”

Provenance:

• Santa Maria delle Grazie;


• Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (1768 - 1835);


• Christie's London, 7th June 1865, as Leonardo da Vinci;


• Gift of John Law to St. Wilfrid's Convent of London, Tite Street, Chelsea. (Attributed to Andrea Salai).

Literature:

• Dominica Peno, Storia genuina del Cenacolo insigne dipinto da Leonardo da Vinci nel refettorio de’ padri domenicani di Santa Maria delle Grazie di Milano, 1796. Published by Cesare Orena.


• Giuseppe Bossi, Del Cenacolo di Leonard da Vinci, 1810

Dimensions:
14.2 in. (H) x 25.6 in. (W)
36 cm (H) x 65 cm (W)

Oil on wood 14.25 in. x 25.25 in. (36 cm x 65 cm)

 First mention of this panel is by Padre Maestro Dominica Peno in his “ Storie. Genuine del Cenacolo insigne ”, published at Milan in 1796 he mentions it as being in the possession of one of his brotherhood quoted again in l’ Abbé Aimée Guillon’s “ Le Cenacle de Leonard de Vinci” Milan, 1844, page 200, where he states: “ L’autre petite, et non moins ancenne, mais peinte sur bois… Elle étoit au temps du P.Pino dans la chambre de l’un de sen confreres.” The original mention is in Pino, p. 85.

 According to l’Abbé Guillon, it was then in the collection (1811) of the owner of the large copy on canvas from the Certosa at Pavia (later R.A), and of a lesser copy on the two sheets of paper. Guillon notes this panel as no. 13 of his list of copies of Leonardo's original. The text in the original reads: “ et maintenant elle appartient au proprietaire du Cenacle de Chartreuse… ”

The present work bears a number of small mutilated wax seals. One of these is the official Imperial seal of the. “ R. Accademia di Milano ”; , the words (partly missing) “ per… si azione ” (for Collezione). Showing the Imperial arms with the monogram of Emperor Francis II (thus dating between 1792 and at latest 1855) it is thus likely that for some time it was in the state collection of the R.Accademia di Milan, better known as the Reale Accademia di Belle Arte, and later known as the Palazzo di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti. Thus it appears to have followed the fortunes of the large R.A canvas for some time.

The next mention of this little panel is its being one of the valuable works in the sale of a Gentleman by Messrs. Christie in London, Sat. June 7,1856. Described was having "been mainly acquired during travels on the continent, the collection was not only an important one, but flattering to the discernment of its collector."