Daniele Crespi, Masters Lombard School Religious, 1630, Oil on Canvas, Framed

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Lombard painter of the early 17th century
Daniele Crespi (Busto Arsizio, 1597-1600 – Milan 1630) Circle of

Saint Sebastian

Oil … Read more Lombard painter of the early 17th century
Daniele Crespi (Busto Arsizio, 1597-1600 – Milan 1630) Circle of

Saint Sebastian

Oil on canvas (82 x 60 cm - framed 100 x 79 cm)

Saint Sebastian, soldier and martyr of Christ, is a striking figure who recurs in art with incredible frequency as one of the most represented saints of the Catholic Church.

Protector against pandemics, which were once believed to be signs of heavenly wrath inflicted on the world for its sins, he was therefore abundantly depicted, especially between the 16th and 17th centuries.

Immortalized at the moment of his martyrdom, following the death sentence imposed by Diocletian, the Saint is depicted here with great realism: the scene, faithful to classical iconography, shows him tied to the trunk of a tree, his hands clasped and raised above his head, suffering with an arrow piercing his flesh.

The composition focuses attention on the Saint's muscular anatomy and expression: often depicted as a beautiful, naked youth with light drapery around his hips, he became a pretext for artists in the Renaissance and Baroque periods to represent the aesthetic ideal of the male body. More than a suffering martyr, he sometimes appeared as a classical hero, with an "equivocal charm" that made him particularly captivating to art lovers.
Although traditional iconography depicts him pierced by arrows, only one is visible in this particular painting. The focus is entirely on the emotional expression and anatomical rendering of the body, struggling between life and death.

The intensity emanating from her body is of great emotional impact, illuminated by a powerful light that highlights her figure and illuminates her body and face, with her eyes turned skyward in a fiery, sentimental expression of dramatic expectation.

The marked realism traces its origins to the Lombard school of painting of the early 17th century, an extraordinarily fruitful artistic period that, in the first half of the century, saw a succession of excellent artists, making Milan one of the most influential centers of Italian painting of the time.

The features of the canvas, particularly the facial features, characterized by strong pathos, are elements that recall the style of Daniele Crespi (Busto Arsizio 1598 – Milan 1630), one of the leading exponents of 17th-century Milanese art. His pictorial style seems to gradually distance itself from the still-popular Mannerist movement, toward a Carracci-inspired classicism.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The images were created using a professional photographic set and lighting.

The work is sold with a beautiful frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and an iconographic .

This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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