Page 11 - Luca Giordano - Liberation of St Peter

Thus it is that cerebration focussed on semi-retirement and the pastoral delights of a fireside in the country, as well as
more time to spend actively dealing with the affairs of my small Charitable Foundation, is propelled ever more
compellingly to the fore.

Once again we dedicate a catalogue to a single painting, this time by Luca Giordano.When I learned that Giuseppe
Scavizzi, whose partner in the production of the noted catalogue raisonnée on the artist, Oreste Ferrari, I had known
in Rome several decades ago, was soon to launch a new book dedicated to the young Giordano’s work, I approached
him about the publication of the unpublished Liberation of St Peter. I was delighted to learn that he too considered this
a key early work of the very highest quality and this echoed my own biased opinion that this canvas was probably the
best work by the artist to newly see the light of day since this gallery sold the great Perseus turning Phineas and his Followers
to Stone to the National Gallery, London in 1983. I am deeply grateful to Professor Scavizzi for finding time to contribute
an essay for this catalogue when he is so close to the publication of his book.

At the same time I have to thank Beverly Brown, not only for reading and helping to edit the proof but above all for
suggesting that I contact Helen Langdon with a view to her contributing a second essay for this publication. In a
remarkably short space of time Helen has written a disquisition on Liberation and Deliverance. As I know that Helen is
particularly in demand to write for learned publications and exhibitions I cannot thank her enough for finding time
for our little publication.

I take this opportunity of thanking Sophie Dixon, my Gallery Manager, for pitching into this, her first experience of a
Matthiesen publication with yet another dedicated to Joseph Wright of Derby and the Romantic Movement shortly to
follow hard on its heels. I thank Max Deliss and all the Chestermans for their advice and contribution to a superb
conservation in regaining the original surface.The painting was a joy to clean as the impasto has remained as it was the
day it left Giordano’s studio.Thanks toAndy Boast for consolidating the stretcher, to my friend Nicolas Cortes for locating
an original Portuguese baroque frame in La Granja to replace the horrendous ‘Vicwardian’ Louis XIV monstrosity that
had housed the painting replete with‘butler’s’ wax gilding from a pot; to Angel Escorial for repairs and alterations to the
frame; to Richard Herner for allowing me free rein in completing this project; to Brigitta Daprà; to Allemandi & C.,
Fotomec andTipostampa, and to Keith at Pru Cuming for photography.

PATRICK MATTHIESEN

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