Ecstasy by Paolo Veronese
St. Francis in Ecstasy, by master Paolo Veronese (1582). Oil on quatrefoil canvas. Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice
Paolo Veronese was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, celebrated for his monumental history paintings depicting religious and mythological themes, such as The Wedding at Cana (1563) and The Feast in the House of Levi (1573). Alongside Titian and Tintoretto, he formed part of the “great trio” that defined Venetian painting of the Cinquecento and the Late Renaissance. Renowned as a supreme colorist, Veronese moved beyond the early influence of Mannerism to develop a more naturalistic style shaped by Titian’s example.(close up)
His most celebrated works are vast narrative cycles rendered in a vivid, dramatic style—distinguished by majestic architectural settings, opulent pageantry, and luminous color. Known especially for his grand biblical feasts painted for Venetian and Veronese monasteries, Veronese was also the leading Venetian painter of ceilings. He has long been admired for “the chromatic brilliance of his palette, the splendor and sensitivity of his brushwork, the aristocratic grace of his figures, and the magnificence of his spectacle.”
This particular painting, St. Francis in Ecstasy, once adorned the ceiling of the Venetian Franciscan church of San Nicolò dei Frari, popularly known as San Nicolò della Lattuga. Veronese and his collaborators devoted great care to decorating the church, making it one of the most ambitious projects of his mature years—just as St. Sebastian had been the crowning achievement of his youth.
The decorative cycle began above the organ and included, in addition to St. Francis in Ecstasy, an unusually shaped Adoration of the Magi at the center, the Four Evangelists at the corners, and St. Nicholas Named Bishop of Myra near the high altar.
Following the suppression of the Franciscan order in 1806, the church was demolished and the paintings were dispersed. The Adoration of the Magi now adorns the ceiling of the rebuilt Rosary Chapel in the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, while St. Francis in Ecstasy is thought to be the best-preserved panel from the dismembered cycle.
This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Franciscan Gallery charges for the access to high resolution copy of the image. Manually restoration was necessary in order to improve quality, without covering the original image.
Comments
Post a Comment