The Sarjeant: Art tough to pin down - even for experts

Whose work? "The Appearance of the Virgin to St Maurice" forms part of the "Clouds" exhibition.

By Jennifer Taylor Moore

CURRENTLY on display at Sarjeant on the Quay is Clouds, an exhibition drawn from the Sarjeant collection comprising works that feature the familiar meteorological phenomenon of condensed watery vapour.

One work on display is a circa 17th century religious painting, The Appearance of the Virgin to St Maurice, that holds a fascination for both the viewer and the researcher.

The title of the work is derived from the Italian inscription on the back of the frame "L'Apparizione Della Virgine a San Maurizio [/] Dipinto attributo a Piazzetta Scuola Veneta Secolo XVII".

This title was present on the work prior to its purchase in 1922 by Henry Sarjeant's widow, Ellen, and her new husband, John Armstrong Neame, on one of their trips to Europe to acquire works for the early Sarjeant collection.

The artist is not clearly identified, though, and as a result it has had various changes in attribution over the years.

At the time of acquisition, the work was attributed to Giovanni Battista Piazzetta of Venice (Italian, b. c1682, d.1754).

At some point before 1991 it was altered to be Domenico Piola of Genoa (Italian, b.1627,
d.1703). The most recent attribution was made in 2016 by the team at Christie's auction house, London, during their three-yearly valuation of the collection where they listed the work as being attributed to Francesco Trevisani (Italian, b.1655, d.1746).

The painting depicts St Maurice kneeling before the Virgin Mary who appears on a bank of billowing clouds, supported by various chubby putti and angels, and holding the baby Jesus aloft.

The descending clouds and beams of light illuminating the scene are a common feature in religious paintings and form a bridge from the heavenly realms to the Earth below.

St Maurice was a revered saint in the Coptic Orthodox Church and an Egyptian Christian born in the third century.

He is believed to have commanded a Roman legion. Legend states he was martyred in Agaunum (now Switzerland), along with his legion, when he refused to harass Christians on the order of Roman Emperor Maximian.

He appears to be most often portrayed as a black Moor or an African and as a soldier, however, in this image he appears distinctly Caucasian which could potentially raise doubts about the correct description of this scene.

Another interesting aspect is the frame.

After recent examination by a European expert in frame manufacture and restoration, the conclusion was that the painting was likely to be 300 years older than the frame.

Generally, historic frame decoration is influenced by the subject of the painting, however in this case the floral decoration bears little relation to the religious image depicted, making for a slightly incongruous pairing.

For all the various uncertainties and mysteries of origin, the work is well executed, in very good condition, and is viewed as being of national significance in New Zealand.

If nothing else, the painting should be a reminder to practising artists to remember to sign their works, as you never know who might be discussing its attribution decades or centuries later.

Clouds is on display at Sarjeant on the Quay until May 27.

■ Jennifer Taylor Moore is curator of collections at the Sarjeant Gallery