Description:

LIVIO MEHUS (Flemish 1630-1691)
The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine - circa 1675
Oil on canvas
Unsigned
78.5 inches x 58 inches. (199.4 x 147.3 cm. Overall including frame 86 inches x 62 inches (219 x 157.5cm).
LOCAL PICKUP OR THIRD-PARTY SHIPPER ONLY.

Provenance:
These salesrooms, auction of December 14, 2005, as Circle of Mattia Preti (1613-1699), lot 141 illustrated, and where acquired by consignor.

It is likely the offered painting is another (albeit smaller) version by Mehus of the same subject as authored by him around the year 1675 and as found to the left of the main altar in the Church of San Bartolomeo, Prato, northwest of Florence.

Lieven Mehus, also known as Livio Mehus (1630–1691), was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, and engraver of the Baroque period who trained and worked primarily in Italy. Active mainly in Florence, he served as the court painter to Prince Mattias de' Medici. During his lifetime, he garnered a strong reputation for his allegorical and mythological scenes, landscapes, religious works, and portraits.

Born in Oudenaarde, Flanders, in 1630, Mehus experienced the economic decline of his hometown, which had once thrived on the tapestry industry. His father moved to Milan in search of better fortunes, leaving young Livio in the care of relatives. At the age of ten, he joined his father in Milan.

In Milan, Livio trained under an obscure Flemish or Dutch battle and landscape painter known as Carlo Fiammingo. Some art historians suggest he may have been Karel Philips Spierincks, a Flemish landscape painter from Brussels. At 15, Livio embarked on a journey to Rome. En route, he passed through Pistoia, where his talent was recognized, leading to an introduction to Prince Mattias de' Medici, the governor of Siena.

In Siena, Livio studied drawing with local painter Guiliano Periccioli. After a time, he followed Prince Mattias to Florence, where he had the opportunity to work with the prominent painter Pietro da Cortona, who was involved in the decoration of the Palazzo Pitti. However, Mehus abruptly left Florence—possibly due to a conflict with his fellow artists—and returned to Milan without informing the prince.

According to the 17th-century biographer Filippo Baldinucci, Mehus served as a soldier in the wars against Spain in Piedmont and Lombardy for about three years. Upon returning to Milan, he reunited with his family and worked briefly before Prince Mattias invited him back to Florence.

In Florence, Mehus met the Florentine engraver Stefano della Bella, who had just returned from a long stay in France. In 1650, he traveled to Rome with della Bella, where he worked again with Pietro da Cortona and created studies after classical antiquities. He spent approximately 18 months in Venice starting in 1650, with additional visits to Rome (1655-1656 and 1661), Venice (1660), and Parma in 1673. He is recorded in Florence from 1678 until his death in 1691.

Many of Mehus' battle and landscape works remain in private collections, while his altarpieces and canvases depicting religious and mythological subjects can be found in churches and museums. He is known for several self-portraits, including a notable portrait of the blind sculptor Giovanni Francesco Gonnelli, known as the Ciego de Gambazo. This work showcases his strengths as a portrait painter and prefigures the style of Giacomo Ceruti a generation later. Additionally, Mehus painted the staffage in the landscapes of Crescenzio Onofri, a pupil of Gaspard Dughet, as seen in Landscape with Gulf and Port (Italian House of Representatives, Rome).

His best-known works include The Genius of Painting (Museo del Prado, Madrid) and The Genius of Sculpture (Palazzo Pitti, Florence), both created around 1650. These paintings embody his notions of artistic excellence. When The Genius of Painting was acquired by the Prado in 2000, it was initially attributed to Velázquez. In the first work, the youthful genius of painting is depicted making a copy of the now-destroyed Martyrdom of Saint Peter by Titian, illustrating his aspiration to learn from one of the greatest Venetian colorists. In The Genius of Sculpture, the figure is shown drawing a classical statue, emphasizing the primacy of ancient sculpture and the importance of drawing skill. In both paintings, Mehus included a self-portrait, directly associating himself with the qualities he admired in art.

Mehus left numerous works, now present in the Palatine Gallery, the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace in Florence, as well as the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, the Louvre, the Courtauld Institute, and in many other places.

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  • Condition: Important Notice: The absence of condition information in the description does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition, a condition report is available by request.

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Shipping

Except for large, oversized items, Jackson's is your sole and only source for one stop packing and shipping. With over 50 years of experience, our professional, affordable and efficient in-house shipping department will be happy to provide you a fair and reasonable shipping quote on this lot. Simply email us before the auction for a quick quote: [email protected] or call 1-800-665-6743. Jackson's can expertly pack and ship to meet any of your needs. To ensure quality control Jackson's DOES NOT generally release to third party shippers, with the exception being large, oversized items. Our in-house shipping department provides shipping services, as such; a shipping price is included on your invoice calculated to the address listed on your invoice. Please indicate any special shipping instructions or different ship-to address immediately after the auction.

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November 21, 2024 9:00 AM CST
Cedar Falls, IA, US

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