Italian school; circa 1640. "San Matias". Oil on canvas. It has an 18th century frame.

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OLD MASTERS - Day 1

By Setdart Auction House

May 31, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-05-31 08:30:00 2021-05-31 08:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS - Day 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters---day-1-6998
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• Lot Description
  Italian school; circa 1640. "San Matias". Oil on canvas. It has an 18th century frame. Measures: 52 x 50 cm; 59 x 58 cm (frame). It follows Flemish models. The work offers us the face, in ecstasy, of an elderly male figure, probably identifiable as one of the apostles. The man is depicted bust-length, dressed in a red tunic, with a classical appearance. The protagonist of the scene turns his face, covered with a bushy beard and moustache, directing his gaze towards the outside of the composition, adopting a serious and concentrated gesture, in which a great rotundity can be perceived. The facial features, as well as the clothing, allow us to suppose that this is one of the apostles, since the pictorial tradition had a long history in the individual representation of the saints, where only his bust was shown, without any other attribute that could identify him, except for the colors of his clothes, although in this particular case we can see how he is holding a weapon in his hand. The figure stands out against a neutral background of dark tones, thanks to a powerful spotlight outside the composition that falls on the face. The type of lighting used, as well as the subject matter and the chromatic range, denote the artist's knowledge of baroque painting. By its iconographic attribute it can be identified as Saint Matthias, who carries the axe that was used for his torment, in addition to the book that characterizes him as an apostle, which in this case is not appreciated. His appointment as an apostle was given to replace Judas Iscariot after the latter's betrayal of Jesus, an event that culminated in the suicide of the traitor. The Apostle Matthias proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ, reason for which he was accused of blasphemy, being stoned by Caesar's soldiers. Finally, his murderers cut off his head with an axe, death with which they punished those who opposed Caesar, which means that the apostle Matthias was killed for despising the Roman law. Since then St. Matthias is the patron saint of butchers and carpenters, carrying his axe as an identifying attribute, accompanied by the book that crowns him as an apostle. At the beginning of the XII century a current of artists belonging to the Dutch artistic panorama took place. This group of painters whose training was based on the study of classical art meant the presence of these painters in the Italian capital. This was the place where they came into contact not only with classicism, but also with the most innovative currents of the time. It is in this context that they experienced the novelties of Caravaggio's figurative language. Adopting the stylistic resources of the Milanese painter, the Utrecht Caravaggists followed the current of Caravaggesque naturalism, presenting it through chiaroscuro effects. On their return to Holland, between 1620 and 1630, these painters succeeded in imposing Caravaggio's dramatic chiaroscuro and realism in Utrecht, which was a Catholic city.
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