Saint Agnes (Massimo Stanzione)

Saint Agnes

Artist	Massimo Stanzione
Year	1635-1640
Type	Painting
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	83.5 cm × 75 cm (32.9 in × 29.5 in)
Location	Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

Saint Agnes is a painting currently exhibited at the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Description

A three-quarter length depiction of Agnes of Rome shows the saint in direct communication with God. Her head is slightly raised, her mouth half open, and the fingers of her hand are spread open over her heart while with her other hand she caresses the Mystic Lamb. Her neckline shifts sideways to reveal part of her shoulder, the highest degree of eroticism in the work of Stanzione.^[1]

History

The work was attributed to Massimo Stanzione in 1954 by José Milicua,^[1] who viewed it in the collection of Tomás Harris at that time.^[2] The work made its way to the collection of Santiago Espona who bequested it to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in November 1958.^[2]

Exposition catalogue listings^[3]

1958 Barcelona p.11 Cat #78
1963 Barcelona P.16
1987 Girona p.48 Cat #46
1989 Barcelona p.49 Cat #46
1998 Palma p.114 Cat #32

Analysis

In attributing this painting to Stanzione, José Milicua offers comparisons between this painting and another portrayal of the same saint by Stanzione which belonged to the Laliccia Collection in Naples which makes use of the same model and is differentiated only by a slight turn of the model's head. In both paintings, Stanzione has dispensed with the halo and palm leaf, omissions that are common in Neapolitan painting of the 1600s. Although lacking the traditional external signs of sainthood, her status as one of God's elect is evidenced in the raised head and upturned eyes, an open mouth, and the hand with fingers spread over the heart. The block of stone closing off a corner of the composition is a device commonly used in Neapolitan painting of this century. However, in the case of Saint Agnes, the stone block also serves to represent the altar on which the Agnus Dei, or sacrificial lamb is placed.^[2]

Stuck to the back of the canvas are some lines of poetry in English in praise of Saint Agnes, cut from printed matter which looks like it might be from the nineteenth century or earlier.^[2]

References

1 2 Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya: Guide, Barcelona: MNAC, 2005, P. 180-181
1 2 3 4 Caravaggio i la pintura realista europea / comissari José Milicua; coordinació científica María Margarita Cuyás. Barcelona: MNAC, 2005. Traducció a l'anglès p. 431-433
↑ Caravaggio i la pintura realista europea / comissari José Milicua; coordinació científica María Margarita Cuyás. Barcelona: MNAC, 2005. Bibliography

External links

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Romanesque works	Altar frontal from La Seu d'Urgell or of The Apostles Southern apse from Pedret Apse of Santa Maria d'Àneu Apse of Sant Climent de Taüll Erill la Vall Descent from the Cross Batlló Majesty Altar frontal from Avià Paintings from Arlanza

Gothic Art works	Mural paintings of the Conquest of Majorca Head of Christ Virgin of the Angels Altarpiece of Saint Barbara Nativity and Saint John the Evangelist Altarpiece of the Saints John Virgin of the Consellers Saint Augustine Altarpiece Resurrection of Christ

Renaissance and Baroque works	Saint Candidus Jean-Claude Richard, abbé of Saint-Non Mural Paintings from the Herrera Chapel Saint Peter and Saint Paul Madonna of Humility Immaculate Conception Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew St Paul

Modern Art works	The Spanish Wedding Desolation Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem Confidant from the Batlló House Terraced Village Paloma Cala Forn Portrait of my father Woman in Hat and Fur Collar Still life II The Corpus Christi Procession Leaving the Church of Santa Maria del Mar

See also	List of artists from the MNAC collection Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Saint Agnes

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/11/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.