Oil on canvas. Emilian School, 17th century. The painting is set in the stable in Bethlehem, which can be glimpsed and recognized by the beams above the heads of the figures, who occupy the entire foreground. It is, in effect, a Nativity scene, as it shows angels paying homage to the newborn Baby Jesus. The figures of Jesus and Mary are central and focus all the light on themselves, leaving Joseph standing back on the left, barely visible in the darkness, while on the right, the group of angels, huddled together to approach the Child, become more blurred and dark the further they move from the center. The work, on the first canvas, is presented in a repurposed 19th-century frame.

Oil on canvas mounted on panel (probably a portion of a larger painting). In a vast landscape with a glimpse of a village, a shepherdess leads her cows to pasture. The hues of the animals and the human figure blend with those of the land and the houses, beneath a sky pale with the fading light of sunset. The work is presented in a period frame.

Copy from Guido Reni

Oil on canvas. This work is one of several replicas, with some variations, of the famous subject created by the Bolognese painter Guido Reni (1574-1642) and his workshop. The composition, which features the Virgin in prayer, bent over to adore the sleeping Child, is considered a brilliant invention of Reni's style. Following its great success among collectors of the time, it was later taken up by other 17th-century artists, among whom Giovan Battista Salvi, known as "Il Sassoferrato", stands out. The two most famous variations of this fascinating scene show the Virgin with her hands clasped in prayer, as in this version, adopted by Salvi, or with her hands on her chest, a typical Renian motif. Other variations concern the position of the sleeping Child's head, turned upward as in this version, rather than reclining to one side; finally, the background fabrics are different. Yet even in this replica, the intensity of the scene stands out: the body of the child, resting in repose, dominates the scene, where the divine nature subdues the human in sleep; above it, leaning in a protective yet contemplative gesture, is Mary's body, expressing all her maternal tenderness but also, in the gestures of her hands, adoration of the incarnate mystery represented by her son. The vivid colors of the fabrics—the cushion on which Jesus lies, the curtain behind it, the Mother's clothes—enhance the luminosity of the flesh tones. The painting was relined in the mid-20th century.

Cain and Abel

Wood inlay. The scene is set in a countryside with trees resembling olives and a city in the background; in the left foreground, a man furiously beats another man on the ground with a stick, under the alarmed gaze of a farmer. The scene recalls the biblical episode of the killing of Abel, a farmer, by his brother Cain, a hunter. The work is presented in an 18th-century frame.

Oil on canvas. Northern Italian school, late 17th-early 18th century. Mary Magdalene is depicted here in the foreground, her long hair loose, in a pose of prayer and meditation in the desert, which here appears in the background as a Nordic landscape. The work was previously restored and relined, likely in the early 20th century. It is presented in an early 20th-century gilded frame (minor damage to the wood and regilding).

Oil on canvas. The saint is recognizable as Jude Thaddeus, one of the Twelve Apostles, by the halberd he holds in his hands, the instrument of his martyrdom. Another recurring symbol in the iconography of the saint, and featured in this depiction, is the book, symbolizing the Word of God, which Thaddeus fervently proclaimed. The painting shows signs of previous restoration and relining. It is presented in an antique wooden frame.

Oil on canvas. Flemish School, 18th century. The work was attributed to the circle of Hendrick Mommers (1623-1693) at a Christie's auction in 1991. It features a classic architectural capriccio, a vast landscape featuring the ruins of a majestic classical building. This work also features numerous figures walking along the path in front of the ruins: a herdsman with his flock, a woman with a child, and a couple on a romantic stroll. The work is still on its original canvas and is in excellent condition. It is presented in a period gilded frame.

Etchings. The names of the engraver and painter are at the bottom. The series, based on drawings by Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1682-1754), included fifteen prints and was titled "The Twelve Apostles or Work painted by Giambattista Piazzetta (1683-1754) engraved by Marco Pitteri Veneto with Privilege of the Most Excellent Senate". The eleven apostles (excluding the traitor Judas) were joined by the face of Mary, the image of the Father with the Holy Spirit, and Saint Paul. This series lacks the representation of Christ. The prints have stains and water stains. They are presented in 18th-century lacquered wood frames with contemporary glass.

Ancient landscape painting with architecture and figures, oil on canvas. This is a classic architectural capriccio, a landscape featuring architectural structures, often ruins, of imposing classical buildings, along with popular figures from the period. The painting is still on its original canvas. It is presented in a period frame.

Ornaments and Ancient Vases

Hand-colored etchings. Created by Michelangelo Pergolesi in 1777-1778; the colored decoration is a posthumous work, dating back to the 19th century. Pergolesi designed and created furniture, fireplaces, ceilings, chandeliers, doors, and wall ornaments in the neoclassical style, working primarily in England. The drawings for these etchings are numbered and likely belong to the "Disegni per Vari Ornamenti per 70 Piatti" (Designs for Various Ornaments for 70 Plates), published between 1777 and 1801. The two etchings are presented in exposed frames.

Oil on canvas. In this work, the Holy Family addresses a young friar in a Franciscan habit, likely a reference to the commissioner: the Child's outstretched hands reach out to embrace him, under the protective gaze of Mary and Joseph. Previously restored and relined, the painting is presented in an antique 18th-century frame, regilded.

Oil on canvas. Country landscape with a small stream flowing by, near which stands a cluster of rural buildings; several figures on the path. The work shows traces of previous restoration and relining. Dirt stains. It is presented in a contemporary antique frame.

Oil on canvas. Country landscape featuring a small stream, boats traversing it, and flanked by small clusters of rural homes. In the foreground, a woman and her child are walking along the path. The work shows traces of previous restoration and relining. Dirt stains. It is presented in a contemporary antique frame.

Crayons on paper. Genoese school, 17th century. Formerly attributed to Luca Cambiaso (1527-1585), the drawing is considered slightly later. It depicts two cherubs picking fruit from a tree, an allegory of life. It is presented in a period frame.

Oil on canvas. Central Italian School, 17th-18th century. In a landscape of barren, rocky slopes, a herd of oxen and goats is depicted in the foreground, tended by a pair of shepherds riding donkeys. The work is presented in a period frame. Previously relined, it has some minor paint loss.

Oil on canvas mounted on panel. The three figures are depicted only in the upper part, highlighting their faces: in the center, Mary with the baby Jesus, on whom the work's light is focused; both are looking toward the baby John, recognizable by his iconographic symbols (the staff surmounted by the Cross and the animal skin covering him), who, more in shadow in the lower right corner, receives Christ's blessing. The painting is presented in an early 20th-century frame.

Oil on walnut panel. The painting follows early 16th-century Tuscan models (for example, the pictorial style of Domenico Puligo), but is a slightly later production and by a weaker hand, typical of "peripheral"production. The absolutely traditional subject features the Madonna breastfeeding the Baby Jesus, framed by a curtain; the infant, sucking at his mother's breast, looks toward the viewer, while the mother gazes tenderly at her son. The monogram CP appears on the back of the panel, likely indicating the artist. The panel has several small paint losses.

Oil on canvas. Northern Italian school, early 18th century. A landscape of rocky hills features a village of turreted buildings, rising near the seashore, visible in the background on the right. In the foreground, along a small coastal inlet, popular life is bustling, with numerous figures engaged in various activities. The painting shows signs of previous restoration and relining; the crack is currently well-defined, but the color is still intact. The painting is presented in an antique frame, with minor losses.

Oil on chestnut panel. Central European school, 16th century. The traditional scene shows the Baby Jesus, in the arms of his Mother, with whom he exchanges a tender gaze, preparing to slip the wedding ring onto the finger of Catherine of Alexandria, symbolizing the mystical marriage the young saint desired to enter into with the Divine Child. The saint is depicted, as per her customary iconography, wearing a crown and regal robes and jewels, to emphasize her princely origins. The painting is likely the work of a Flemish artist inspired by Italian models of the 15th and 16th centuries. The panel shows signs of previous restoration.

Oil on canvas. 18th-century Tuscan School. The large scene tells the tragic story of Apollo and Daphne, recounted in Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to myth, the god Apollo, having mocked Cupid, is struck by him with an arrow of love, causing him to fall in love with the nymph Daphne, who is instead struck by a leaden arrow, capable of ending their love. Apollo, struck by the arrow, falls madly in love with Daphne and runs toward her, but the nymph rejects the god and runs away. To avoid being captured, Daphne asks her father Peneus, eponymous god of the river Peneus, to transform her so she will not have to submit to Apollo. Peneus listens to her request, and when Apollo is about to seize her, Daphne transforms into a laurel tree, a plant that from that moment on becomes sacred to the god. The work displays some similarities to the pictorial style of Giuseppe Zocchi (1711-1767), whom the artist likely drew upon in particular in the depiction of trees and vegetation. The canvas features several paint losses, especially in the lower left corner, and a series of holes (of varying sizes along the edges and in the center) caused by previous nails placed for reinforcement. Framed.

Oil painting on canvas. Roman school of the 17th century. The large scene represents the famous episode halfway between real history and legend, told for the first time by Tito Livio in his "Ab urbe condita libri" (the books of the "History of Rome from its foundation"). To populate the newly founded city, Romulus, founder and first king of the city, resorted to a stratagem: he invited the Sabines, who lived in the nearby city of Curi, to the Consualia festival, in honor of the god Neptune, and kidnapped their women. The painting depicts the moment in which the Romans kidnapped the Sabine women, forcibly taking them away from their companions, under the eyes of the king, who remained hidden behind the columns of the temple of the deity, the god Neptune, recognizable by the trident. In the center at the rear is the obelisk, which for the Romans acquired a symbolic meaning as war booty and testimony to imperial strength. The many figures intertwine with each other, chasing each other, overlapping, creating plays of bodies and chromatic effects. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in an antique frame.