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School of central Italy, St. Onofrio penitent

$3,767.67

£2,788.72

€3,888VAT Included

CA$5,248.88

A$5,338.61

CHF 3,052.71

MX$64,574.88

NOK 35,767.55

SEK 35,758.96

DKK 24,400.26

About the Item

Central Italian school, 17th century Saint Onophrius Penitent Oil on canvas, 110 x 75 cm Framed, 120 x 83 cm The attached painting, depicting St. Onofrio Penitent, is an excellent example of Italian Baroque painting, approaching stylistically the modes of central Italy, more likely that of 17th-century Naples, strongly influenced by Caravaggism and the later art of Jusepe de Ribera. The subject, St. Onophrius the hermit, is presented in a rocky and desolate setting, typical of paintings that enhance the theme of penance and ascetic life. Onofrio, an Egyptian hermit who lived in the fourth century, is portrayed here according to his traditional iconography: an elderly man with a long beard and white hair, almost completely naked (covered only by a loincloth of leaves), kneeling, his hands clasped in prayer or in a gesture of deep upward entreaty. The work is characterized by strong realism and intense chiaroscuro, elements that distinctly identify it within the sphere of Baroque art of Caravaggio's matrix. The light, far from being diffuse, is dramatically focused on the saint's skeletal body, highlighting his musculature, prominent veins, and rough skin as mute witnesses to his life of deprivation. This almost brutal rendering of physical truth, exalted by the artistic current of Tenebrism, was a powerful tool for arousing the viewer's pietas and emotional participation in the spiritual drama. Compositionally, the focus is skillfully on the saint. Next to him, on a rock step, we recognize some iconographic attributes that enrich his spiritual meaning, such as open book, a symbol of the Holy Scriptures or meditation, and a cross and a Rosary beads visible on the boulder near the saint's elbow, indicating his deep spirituality and dedication. The surrounding landscape, barely hinted at in the upper right with a rough sky, is not distracting but rather serves as a mere stage to enhance Onofrio's loneliness and inner drama. Finally, the saint's expression, with his wide-open eyes and slightly open mouth, powerfully conveys a sense of mystical ecstasy that blends with the deep fatigue and suffering of his hermit existence. The stylistic aspects of the work point toward the artistic trends of central Italy. These painters favored the choice of a subject with a strong emotional and veristic impact (often figures of hermit saints or elderly philosophers), rendered through a robust brushstroke and the prevalent use of earthy, somber colors (brown, ochre, dark gray) that build up the rocky background. This approach emphasized aged and suffering flesh as a tangible symbol of the human condition and ascetic mortification. Jusepe de Ribera himself would make a St. Onofrio (c. 1625, preserved in Palazzo Barberini, Rome), which shows similar attention to rendering of flesh and dramatic expression.

Dimensions:
Height: 43.31 in (110 cm)Width: 29.53 in (75 cm)Depth: 1.19 in (3 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Canvas,Oiled
Period:
17th Century
Date of Manufacture:
XVII Century
Condition:
Refinished.
Seller Location:
Milan, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5918248578762

Materials

Copper

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