ANDREA BUSATI, attr.to

THE MADONNA AND CHILD

ANDREA BUSATI, attr.to
Active Venezia 1503 – 1528 Venezia

Oil on panel
70 x 55 cm / 27.6 x 21.7 inches, with frame 94 x 79 cm / 37 x 31.1 inches

PROVENANCE
XVIII century unknown Russian Collection (according to old wax red seal with cyrillic letters (first word seems to be "укрощаю" or "прощаю" and presenting Eagle fighting Snake. For this information many thanks to Vladimir Prohorov, Moscow)
Beginning of XX century Rome, unknown art gallery (according to the "Bollo di una galleria di Roma" and "bollo dell'ufficio esportazioni, repubblica italiana". For this information many thanks to Paolo Bini, Agliana)
Munchen, private collection

ANDREA BUSATI AND VENETIAN PAINTING: BETWEEN TRADITION AND REPETITION
Venetian painting of the late 15th and early 16th centuries presents a complex puzzle for scholars. While the oeuvre of masters such as Giovanni Bellini has been extensively studied, figures like Cima da Conegliano and his circle remain enigmatic. Particularly fascinating in this context are the Busati brothers — Andrea, Luca Antonio, and Francesco — whose long-overlooked works shed light on the mechanisms of artistic borrowing and reinterpretation during the Renaissance.

ANDREA BUSATI: A LIFE BETWEEN DOCUMENTS AND HYPOTHESES
Little is known about the life of Andrea Busati (active 1503–1528). His father Stefano is believed to have moved from Shkodra (present-day Albania) to Venice in the mid-15th century. Andrea himself is recorded in Venetian documents as a painter between 1503 and 1527. Though he referred to himself as a “disciple of Giovanni Bellini,” his style is closely aligned with that of Cima da Conegliano. Scholars including Rodolfo Pallucchini and Gustav Ludwig have noted that Busati remained outside the innovative trends of his time, preferring the “serene and enclosed world” of Cima.

REPETITION AS METHOD: BETWEEN COPY AND INTERPRETATION
Busati's oeuvre offers a vivid example of how Venetian painters engaged with the legacy of their masters. His known works — such as Saint Anthony of Padua (Museo Civico, Vicenza) or The Entombment (The National Gallery, London) — are direct variations on Cima’s compositions. For instance, the London Entombment (111.1 × 91.4 cm), painted after 1512, is a reduced version of Cima’s painting now in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow. Yet Busati adds his own distinctive traits: vivid colour, a meticulously rendered landscape of Calvary, and a strong use of eye contact (notably the gaze of Joseph of Arimathea toward the viewer).

Even in works initially attributed to others — such as Saint Mark Enthroned from the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice (once mistakenly linked to Sebastiano del Piombo) — Cima’s influence is evident. As Martin Davies notes, Busati’s compositions may feel “cold,” but his details are precise, whether in the fig tree at Christ’s tomb (a symbol of the Resurrection) or the echoes of Bellini in the figure of Saint Francis.

THE MADONNA AND CHILD FROM THE MAXIMOWICZ FINE ARTS COLLECTION: A NEW GLANCE AT A TRADITIONAL THEME
The Madonna and Child, attributed to the circle of Andrea Busati, reflects the key features of his stylistic environment. The oil on panel (70 × 55 cm, framed 94 × 79 cm), likely painted in the 1520s, boasts a distinguished provenance: an 18th-century Russian collection (bearing a wax seal with Cyrillic letters and an eagle fighting a serpent), a Roman gallery in the early 20th century, and later a private collection in Munich.

The composition recalls a rare prototype from Cima’s school — the Madonna and Child now in the Doria Pamphilj Gallery, Rome. Yet despite the compositional similarities, the Maximowicz version distinguishes itself in several ways:

Hairstyle: In both paintings — the one from Doria Pamphilj and the present work — the Virgin’s hair is partially visible beneath her veil. This detail, unusual for Cima and his followers, might hint at a portrait-like intention.

Cherubim: The upper part of the painting features three cherubic faces surrounded by multicoloured wings, without bodies — a rare addition absent in Cima’s version, enhancing the celestial dimension of the composition.

Colour and light: Deep ruby reds and sapphirine blues dominate the Virgin’s garments, enlivened by golden highlights. The background landscape, softly illuminated, evokes Giovanni Bellini’s Annunciation in the Gallerie dell’Accademia.

This is not a copy but a creative variation — a respectful homage to tradition, filtered through a personal idiom marked by compositional clarity, decorative richness, and psychological immediacy. It is a fine example of how Cima’s legacy continued to evolve within the brushwork of the next generation.