Italian school; XVIII century. "Bull of Faralis". Oil on canvas.

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OLD MASTERS

By Setdart Auction House

Jul 14, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-07-14 06:30:00 2021-07-14 06:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7202
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• Lot Description
  Italian school; XVIII century. "Bull of Faralis". Oil on canvas. Presents frame of the nineteenth century and an addition, in addition to patches, faults and repainting. Size: 191 x 262 cm; 205 x 277 cm (frame). Through the use of a classical language and historicist conception, the author presents us with a composition, which is based on fantasy and the reinterpretation of the classical world. As the protagonist of the scene, an enormous bronze bull occupies the central area of the image. It is the famous "Bull of Falaris (Phalaris)", also known as the Sicilian bull. This bronze sculpture was a well-known instrument of torture, designed in ancient Greece. After its invention it was presented to the Sicilian tyrant Phalaris, as a means to terminate criminals. Designed with the same dimensions as a real bull, the sculpture had a device that transformed the cries of the tortured into bull moos. These were introduced into the interior of the sculpture, which was heated by a fire located on the outside, which heated the metal. In the image, a woman is forcibly introduced inside the bull, in whose entrails the flames of the fire can be seen, a characteristic that shows the artist's personal reinterpretation of this theme. A large group of people, representing different social classes, swirl around the left side of the composition to contemplate the main scene. The set that develops in a landscape, stands out for the architectural presence, where you can identify buildings such as the arch of Julius, the Mausoleum of Augustus and Hadrian's temple. It is interesting to note the presence of two little love birds, in the background of the scene. Both carry a crown of flowers and a palm, which is the iconographic symbol that usually accompanies the martyrs. Therefore, it is probable that the scene represents the martyrdom of one of the first Christians, who confronted the prevailing polytheistic religion of the Greco-Roman society. The figures that make up the scene have been conceived following the aesthetics of classicism, with a very marked humanist perspective. The harmony of classicism can be seen in the attitudes of the characters contemplating the scene, in contrast to the dynamism of the figure to be tortured. This harmony is also reflected in the palette chosen by the painter, very lively, but without excessive contrasts in the coloring or in the light sources used. The historical theme is set in a glorious past, sometimes related to the history of the painter's country.
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