
Poppy Harvey-Jones
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The present pair of unfinished bozzetti was most probably carried out by Giordano in preparation for a decorative scheme which was never realised. Proessor Nicola Spinosa has suggested a dating for these works to the 1690s when the artist was court painter in Spain to King Charles II.
A group of drawings, now in the Museo de Bellas Artes, Valencia show almost identical compositions albeit depicting figures of a very different nature - classical philosophers rather than Old Testament Prophets (see O. Ferrari and G. Scavizzi, Luca Giordano. L'opera completa, Naples, 1992, vol. I, p. 376, cat nos. D169-171, vol II, ill. pp. 908-9, fig. 1043, 1044, 1047). Giordano is known to have made preparatory drawings and bozzetti of particular figure compositions which he would then adapt to suit a commission by simply altering the attributes and symbols as necessary.
We are grateful to Professor Nicola Spinosa for confirming the attribution to Giordano, upon inspection of colour photographs, and for his help in cataloguing these works.