Domenico Guidobono (Savona, Italy, 1668 – Naples, Italy, 1746) Title: Living nature with pigeon Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: without frame 28.5 x 37.2 cm – with frame 36.7 x 45.4 x 3.7 cm Not signed Expertise by Anna Orlando, art historian Previously part of the Marchesi Raymondi Collection (Finale Ligure, Italy) The painting, which has never been exhibited before, comes from the Palazzo dei Marchesi Raimondi in Finale Ligure (Savona, Italy). Although its provenance is modern, it is of particular interest as the work can be attributed to the Savona painter Domenico Guidobono (1668-1746). The two Guidobono brothers, Bartolomeo, known as the Priest of Savona (1654-1709), and Domenico (1668-1746), were both trained by their father Gio. They both moved to Genoa in 1680 and then to Turin, where they lived from 1684 to 1689 and again from 1702. Bartolomeo died there in 1709, while Domenico continued his career for almost another thirty years, between Turin, Genoa and Naples. The circumstances clearly make it difficult to distinguish between the two artists' styles, not least because, in both frescoes and canvases, collaboration between four hands was common practice in many studios. In the painting, one can see that the brushstrokes are thick and opaque, reminiscent of Domenico's early work. The dimensions of the canvas suggest that it is a study, probably executed in person with a live pigeon. The surface on which the bird rests is undefined, as is often the case in Domenico's still life compositions, although in this case it appears to have been rendered using the spare technique that leaves the reddish-brown preparation clearly visible. The subjects contained in such paintings are often found in more complex compositions, assembled with other elements, according to a modus operandi that is very typical of still life specialists.