Welcome to Kenneth Hurley Fine Art
Kenneth Hurley Fine Art specializes in the sale of affordable, high quality early pictures especially early Italian, Flemish, British pictures from circa 1650 to 1850 and Early English Watercolours. Depending on attribution,the importance of the artist, the place of the work in his " oeuvre", the composition and the condition, pictures may be purchased from under 2000 pounds to over 100,000 pounds.
We endeavour to present pictures in original condition using only the latest conservation techniques as we do not believe in restoration solely aimed at making pictures look "new".
Should we decide to restore a picture this is only done after very careful consideration of the long term benefits that such a process might bring to the picture. In line with modern practice any restoration work undertaken is done using minimal intervention techniques. Where it becomes necessary to replace a frame the replacement is, whenever possible, hand made to suit the picture and, if appropriate, water gilded.
Our gallery, situated in the conservation village of Llanover in Monmouthshire, is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 9.30 and 3pm. We are happy to meet clients at the gallery at other times by appointment. Alternatively we can arrange to meet you at your home if this is more convenient.
Pietro Vannuci ( Il Perugino) ( Close Circle of ). Mary Magdalene.
Oil paintings on panel...c 1495-1498. The panels being late 15thC fine book bindings.
There can be no doubt that this remarkably charismatic image of Mary Magdalene is closely related to the work of Perugino as is that of Christ.
The Pitti Palace Perugino has Mary Magdalene with a similar tunic, colouring, facial type, hair, pose (although with hands included) mouth and tilt to the head. However, our panel has an indescribably mesmeric quality and delicacy rarely found in Renaissance painting.
This same `type` may be seen is many Perugino paintings; the Palatina `Madonna and child with two saints`, the Perugia NG ` Madonna della Consolazione`, the Vatican ` Virgine col bambino in trono tra santi`, the Caen ` Sposalizio` and the NG ` Certosa di Parvia` Altarpiece to name a few.
Stylistically, the Louvre drawing of a female head (inv. 4370) shows a remarkably similar drawing style with almost identical directional modelling in crayon and highlights as has our panel with its fine brushwork.
This important Louvre drawing is a transfer with clear pin-hole `spolvero` or pouncing marks, then worked up into a full drawing. It is well known that Perugino`s studio was large and busy with many commissions and used transfers extensively to save time, often reversing them.
An infra- red reflectography image of the Magdalene shows a scattered number of dots along key features suggesting that a spolvero was used. A fine, subtle ink wash drawing was then laid over the pounced marks to reinforce the drawing and add tone, which probably caused most of them to be lost.
Further research into Perugino`s work could perhaps reveal identical heads, possibly reversed, in workshop pieces which would indicate reuse of the specific pattern thus creating a positive link.
There is also the possibility of erased spolvero and some redrawing in silverpoint . ( see R H von Gaertringen ` The practice of erasing spolvero in Italian panel paintings 2003...).More indications of links with Perugino would be the use of thin flesh pigments, ( seen in the X ray images of our panels) the use of soda lime glass particles, especially in red lake, the several anomalous pigments found in Perugino`s work and an analysis of the imprimitura and ground. Technical analysis of these points would clarify authenticity further.
It will be noted that there is a raised edge around each image; the central part with the painted figures is the original. The outer edges were then added a century or so later.
A quite remarkable facet of the panels is seen verso; each is painted on the inner cover of a leather tooled book binding of extraordinary high quality made in Florence c. 1500. ( The images have been examined by Dr Anthony Hobson, the acknowledged authority on North Italian book bindings.)
The shell clasps, blind-tooled borders, centre gilt tools, wooden supportsand YHS central motif all indicate a late 15thC date. Extensive research to this effect is available.
There are several extremely curious aspects relating to the paintings and bindings which at present cannot be explained;
1. The leather work is of the highest quality and yet no other precise examples of the tools are known to exist..only the style and layout.
2.There are no known examples of paintings being included as an integral part of a new book.
3.There seems little explanation for the discarding of a sound fine binding.(the binding is still sound 5 centuries later)
This all tends to indicate several possibilities;
The book could have changed hands early in its life and been rebound by the new owner to match his library, the panels being discarded.
Or, the book could have been deemed `unsuitable` and removed from the library.
Or, the paintings were, in fact, a rare but intentional part of the , clearly, very important book and were commissioned by the patron.
In fact the only known complete rebinding of a library was in 1566 when the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Michelangelo`s Medici Library, was rebound in uniform goatskin and the old bindings were thrown away. The later dating would not link with the date of our panels but the uniqueness and high quality of binding could explain the source of the bindings and suggest that these are in fact from the Medici Library, were painted when the book was commissioned and discarded in 1566. Only a rich important client would commission paintings that were rarely seen.
There are two very old wax seals/collectors marks on each binding which have yet to be identified.
Letters supporting the above assertions are available, including one from Professor Francesco Federico Mancini of Perugia University, the noted authority on Perugino and curator of the important Perugino exhibition in Perugia in 2004.
"The paintings seem to me to be of high quality and could well be autograph works of Perugino. To judge from the photographs they seem to be works of notable interest...one can see various abrasions of a superficial type and some repainting...all this makes it difficult to judge.
The impression is , however, very positive"
We should like to thank the following for their advice.
Dr. Ashock Roy ,of the National Gallery Scientific Department.
Professor Rudolf Hillier von Gaertringen of Leipzig University, expert on Perugino`s underdrawings.
Dr. Anthony Hobson, authority on North Italian bookbindings.
Professor Federico Mancini of Perugia University. Perugino authority and curator of the Perugino exhibition.
Dr. Franca Arduini, Director of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence.
Dr. Jill Dunkerton of the National Gallery, London.