Self-Portrait as a Knight, with a horse, an easel with painter’s palette, and a page’ by Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, commonly known as ‘il Morazzone,’ risks leaving the UK unless a buyer is found.
The artwork is an example of Lombard art, which originated in Lombardy, Italy, in the early 17th century. The design blends reality and spirituality.
This picture by il Morazzone was thought lost until it appeared in London in 2020. If this recently discovered self-portrait left the United Kingdom, it would be a big loss.
Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:
“There are no significant self-portraits by il Morazzone in any public collections in the UK, so this painting is a rare treasure. I hope that a buyer comes forward so that it can be studied and admired in this country.”
The Minister’s decision is based on the opinion of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee concluded that this is an unusual and rare work from an important school of Italian painting that is conspicuously absent from UK collections, and that it is significant since it is il Morazzone’s only known self-portrait. As a result, they felt that the painting was significant for studying the social position of painters in 17th-century Lombardy.
Committee Member Professor Mark Hallett said:
“This is an unusually complex and fascinating picture that cries out for further research and analysis, both as a self-portrait of an important painter from the period, and as a work that illuminates the wider social and cultural dynamics of the 17 th century Lombardy art world.
“The painting, which for many years was housed in an English family collection, also has the potential to provide new and important perspectives on the collecting of Italian Baroque art in Britain.”
The Committee made its proposal on the basis that the picture’s removal from the UK would be a travesty given its exceptional relevance for the study of Lombard painting during the baroque period.
The decision on the painting’s export licence application will be postponed until November 8, 2022, inclusive. Owners will have a contemplation time of 15 Business Days after the first deferral period ends to evaluate any offer(s) to acquire the painting at the recommended price of £2,000,000. The second deferral period will begin four months after the Option Agreement is signed and will last four months.