Gherardo Poli (Florence 1676-1746 Pisa)

This recently rediscovered, previously unpublished pair of capricci constitutes an important addition to the corpus of Gherardo Poli. Both canvases are in a beautiful state of preservation and display the full force of Poli’s characteristically energetic line and flickering brushwork. His purely fantastical architecture is greatly indebted to the graphic works of Jacques Callot, as are several of the figures of the musicians and performers, which bear a strong resemblance to those in Callot’s engraved series Balli di Sfessania (see J. Lieure, Jacques Callot: Catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé, Paris, 1927, nos. 397-402).

These paintings can be compared to pair of similar subject matter in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nancy (inv. nos. 84.4.1 and 84.4.2). They are sold with a letter of expertise from Franco Canepa, who will be including them in a forthcoming article to be published in Italy.