Antonio Maria Viani, Saint Michael the Archangel, 1600, Oil on Canvas

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Description

Antonio maria viani (cremona, c. 1550 – mantua, c. 1635)
saint michael the archangel
oil on canvas (78 x 61 … Read more Antonio maria viani (cremona, c. 1550 – mantua, c. 1635)
saint michael the archangel
oil on canvas (78 x 61 cm - in an antique frame 89 x 71 cm)
on the background are traces of an ancient inscription with the acronym dcai, a greek abbreviation referring to the divine attributes of the saint: d (dikaios, the just), c (custos, guardian/protector of the church), a (archangelus), and i (invictus, or undefeated warrior).

this evocative image of saint michael the archangel is depicted with outstretched wings and his armor, his right hand gripping a flaming sword while the other holds a staff with a scale suspended from it, on which the souls are placed, which he will use to weigh their merits and sins.

it is therefore an extremely fascinating subject, drawn from the theme of the last judgment and specifically from "psychostasy," or the weighing of souls by saint michael: according to the book of revelation, he had the power to sift souls before the final judgment, choosing the elect to ascend to heaven and the damned to fall into hell.

the canvas is a precious example of the lombard school of painting between the 16th and 17th centuries, attributed to the cremonese painter antonio maria viani (cremona, 1550 – mantua, 1635). Our subject is specifically drawn from the splendid work entitled "the trinity with the last judgement," conceived by viani himself and later made famous by the engraving by jan sadeler

our canvas is therefore a derivation of the large composition, from which the figure of saint michael was extrapolated to make it the sole subject.

two versions of the entire composition by viani are known: one in naples at the girolamini monumental complex (ref. 2 - oil on copper, 49.5 x 36 cm), and the other at the pinacoteca stuard in parma (ref. 3 - oil on canvas, 59 x 48 cm.

this last canvas, in terms of pictorial style, is very similar to our saint michael: we can detect the same formal elegance and marked inclination toward mannerism, even in terms of color, typical of viani. This style was initially developed in cremona, his hometown, under the tutelage of giulio campi, and consolidated during his stay at the court of munich, serving duke william v.

during his time in bavaria, his style absorbed elements from the tastes of nordic artists such as friedrich sustris and peter de witte, integrating the italian tradition with a search for scenographic effects typical of european courts.

additional information:

the work being sold is completed by a beautiful antique frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee. 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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