Pair of Paintings Depicting Pilgrims of Compostela After Grimou

A beautifully executed and rare complementary pair of oil on canvas paintings depicting two of the moist famous and important counter reformation catholic saints St Francis Xavier and St Carlo Borromeo shown in scenes of what the respective saints are mostly famous for. St Francis Xavier for the conversion to Christianity of many S. E Asian countries notably India and St Carlo Borromeo shown asking the Virgin Mary to intercede for the cessation of the terrible plague of 1576. The paintings are presented in refreshed gilded carved wooden frames and are unsigned. St. Francis Xavier was born in Spanish Navarre in 1506 and in 1528, he met St. Ignatius of Loyola. He became one of the seven in 1534 who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order). In 1536, he left the University of Paris and joined St. Ignatius in Venice. He was ordained in 1537, and in 1540 after the Society was recognized by the Pope, he journeyed to the Far East. Francis Xavier first evangelized the Portuguese colony of Goa in India, then Travancore, Ceylon, Malacca, and the surrounding islands. From there he journeyed to Japan, where he gave Christianity such deep roots that it survived centuries of violent persecution. He died on Sancian Island in 1552, while he was seeking to penetrate into the great forbidden land of China. Despite language problems, lack of funds, resistance from the Europeans as well as the natives, he persevered. St. Francis converted more people in his life than anyone since the Apostle St. Paul. He baptized over 3 million people, converted the entire town of Goa in India, and he labored in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan. He was truly a missionary par excellence. St Carlo Borromeo (1538-1584), was a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Milan from 1565 to 1583. He was described in the decree for his canonization, as “a man, even while the world smiles on him with the utmost flattery, he lives crucified to the world, spiritually, trampling earthly things, seeking continuously the things of heaven, emulating the life of the Angels on earth, in his thoughts and actions. The plague began in the month of August that year. Milan was celebrating joyfully the arrival of Don John of Austria, on his way to Flanders, where he had been appointed governor. The city authorities were abuzz with excitement in their desire to bestow the highest honours on the Spanish prince, but Charles, who had been Archbishop of the diocese for six years, was following with concern the news coming from Trento, Verona and Mantua, where the plague had begun claiming victims. The first cases exploded in Milan on August 11th, right at the moment when Don John of Austria arrived. The victor of Lepanto, followed by the governor, Antonio de Guzmán y Zuñiga, departed the city, while Carlo Borromeo, who was in Lodi for the Bishop’s funeral, returned in haste. Confusion and fear reigned in Milan and the Archbishop dedicated himself completely to assisting the sick and ordering public and private prayers. Dom Prosper Guéranger sums up his infinite charity in this way: “In the absence of local authorities, he organized the health service, founded or renewed hospitals, sought money and provisions, decreed preventive measures. Most importantly though, he took steps to ensure spiritual help, assistance to the sick and the burial of the dead. Unafraid of being infected, he paid in person, by visiting hospitals, leading penitential processions, being everything to everyone, like a father and true shepherd” St. Carlo was convinced that the epidemic was “a scourge sent by Heaven” as chastisement for the sins of the people and that recourse to spiritual measures was necessary to fight against it: prayer and penitence. He rebuked the civil authorities for having placed their trust in human measures rather than divine ones. “Hadn’t they prohibited all the pious gatherings and processions during the time of the Jubilee? For him, and he was convinced of it, these were the causes of the chastisement. The magistrates who governed the city continued to oppose public ceremonies, out of fear that the large gathering of people would spread contagion, but Charles “who was guided by the Divine Spirit” – recounts another biographer – convinced them by citing various examples, among which was the one regarding St. Gregory the Great who had halted the plague devastating Rome in 590. While the pestilence spread, the Archbishop then ordered three general processions to take place in Milan on the 3rd, 5th and 6th of October, “to placate the wrath of God”. On the first day, the Saint, despite it not being the Lenten season, placed ashes on the heads of the thousands gathered, exhorting them to penitence. Once the ceremony was over, the procession went to the Basilica of St. Ambrose. Charles put himself at the head of the people, dressed in a hooded purple robe, barefoot, penitential cord at his neck and large cross in his hand. The second procession led by the Cardinal headed towards the Basilica of San Lorenzo. The third day the procession from the Duomo headed for the Basilica of Santa Maria at San Celso. St. Carlo carried in his hands a relique of Our Lord’s Holy Nail, which had been given by the Emperor Theodosius to St. Ambrose in the 5th century. The plague didn’t show any signs of waning and Milan appeared depopulated, as a third of its citizens had lost their lives and the others were in quarantine or didn’t dare leave their homes. The Archbishop ordered about twenty stone columns with a cross at the top to be erected in the main squares and city crossroads, allowing the inhabitants from every quarter to take part in the Masses and public prayers - from the windows of their homes. One of Milan’s protectors was St. Sebastian, the martyr the Romans had recourse to during the plague in 672. St. Charles suggested that the magistrates of Milan reconstruct the sanctuary dedicated to him, which was falling into ruins, and to celebrate a solemn feast in his honour for ten years. Finally in July 1577, the plague ceased and in September the founding stone was laid in the civic temple of St. Sebastian, where on January 20th every year, even today a Mass is offered to recall the end of the scourge. St.Carlo Borromeo died on November 3rd 1584 and was buried in the Duomo of Milan. His heart was solemnly translated to Rome, in the Basilica of Saints Ambrose...

The oil painting on canvas is of a young boy 'hugging' his dog, which lies on the boy's lap. It is very much in the style of the Scottish painter Henry Raeburn. The boy is dressed in...

A museum worthy large painting depicting travellers before the falls of Tivoli outside of Rome, with the Temple of Vesta in the background, after the 18thC French artist Claude Joseph Vernet...

An old master style 18th century allegorical painting representing youth and old age, and/or beauty and wisdom, depicted by a beautiful young ...

Francesco Aviani (Italy - Venice, 25-11-1662 / 1715) att. Couple of paintings depicting Capricci Oil on canvas, 135 x 183 cm, without frame The two large and fine paintings depict two illusionistic architectural renderings, with views of colonnades and arched buildings, animated by figures. The compositions are characterized by the harmony with which the painter introduces the sumptuous architectural monuments, the mirrors of water, the buildings in the distance and the views of the landscape. Dominates with a color on the tones of brown and ochre that stands out on the blue sky, marked by some cloud of steam. The insertion of the figures to enliven the architectural views also balances with the set. The Capriccio, an artistic genre that has made its way into Italian painting since the 17th Century, is characterized by the representation of fantastic architectures or prospective inventions, sometimes combined with elements drawn freely from reality. The two paintings are an example of this type and they are a very interesting and Fine artwork. The remarkable pictorial quality emerges both from the composition of the ensemble and from the way in which the artist describes the views with great attention to detail, highlights and refined, perfectly realistic, chiaroscuro. The same must be recognized for the figures: these are described with a wise brushstroke, quick and quick touches give the dynamism of the moment that is captured, as if time had stopped to show and narrate what is happening. The painting on the right represents a large Baroque building in stone and paved with marbles, two floors, with moving façade, large columns with corinthian columns, a large portal with a staircase with large footsteps, a balustrade with string, from which some figures appear, and two equestrian monuments in bronze. The sumptuous building overlooks a large POOL of water, with a gushing fountain, around which some characters sit. In the second floor is described a white palace from which rises a tower crowned by a structure with wrought iron loggia. In addition there is a bridge and some architectural ruins behind which some mountainous reliefs fade towards the horizon. On the staircase is described a particular scene. The people seem to be part of a very precise story. A woman, in the shadow of a parasol supported by a servant, would seem to drive out of the palace a man, who, taken under his arm by two maidens with a determined attitude, is led to a boat. The scene could be identified with the biblical episode of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15,11-32), at the moment when the prodigal son is robbed and driven away by the harlots. The episode tells of a man with two children. The youngest said to his father: “Father, give me the part of my inheritance”. And the father divided the substances. After not many days, the youngest son, collected his things, left for a far country and there he lost his substances with prostitutes and living as a debaucher. When he had spent everything, there came a great famine in that country and he began to find himself in need. Reduced to hunger, he was forced to be a pig herder to survive. He therefore meditated in his heart to go to his father and ask for his forgiveness and to be welcomed anew, even as a servant. While still on the road, however, the father saw him and ran towards him, receiving him with open arms. He then ordered his servants to prepare a great feast for the occasion, killing for the purpose the "fatty calf". The firstborn did not understand why his brother was given such treatment, and reminded the parent that he, who had always obeyed him, had never received a single kid to celebrate with his friends. The father answered him: «Son, you are always with me and everything that is mine is yours; but it was necessary to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and came back to life, was lost and was found». The parable of the prodigal son was often portrayed in painting and the scene he finds most is certainly that of returning home in his father’s arms. Among the many is a canvas by the famous painter Giovanni Paolo Pannini (or Panini) (Italy – Piacenza, 1691– Rome, 1765) kept at the Hallsborough Gallery in London. Rather rare, however, is the scene of the prodigal son driven and robbed by harlots. There is an engraving by Hans Collaert II (1561-1620) in which this moment is described in the background compared to the moment, narratively later, in which he is penitent among the pigs. The second painting, certainly pendant of the first, represents a similar palace, with some characters overlooking the balustrade marcapiano and other figures around the large bathtub quadrilobata. In the foreground is described a monument with two large stone sculptures. In the distance some architectural elements and, beyond, the mountains are lost on the horizon. The studies related to the numerous painters of architectural views and caprices, active in Italy, and the archival documents found, which could better clarify commissions, biographies and certain works, are scarce and sporadic. Therefore there are still many difficulties in reconstructing a catalogue of autograph works for each author. Through paintings in private collections, in museums and paintings passed on the antique market it is however possible to advance some attributions in order to better delineate the various artistic figures. The style of the works studied here leads to a dating that runs between the 17th and 18th Centuries, with obvious influences dictated by the perspectives of the brothers Galli Bibiena. The analysis of the architectures and the chromatic palette suggests that we are in the presence of a northern Italian and Venetian author. Observing the decorations and the volutes, the brightness and the perspective disposition in fact, we find several analogies with those used by the Vicenza painter Francesco Aviani, excellent in pictorial perspective and architectural views. The biographical profile of Francesco Aviani (Italy - Vicenza, 1662-1715) was essentially traced in 1956 by Andreina Ballarin, then re-visited by Federica Spadotto in 2014 and Giancarlo Sestieri in 2015. Certain documents about his life are scarce, as are the documented works. He was born in Venice, probably on 25 November 1662, to Bernardo and a Magdalene whose surname is unknown, and was baptized on 3 December 1662. Between 1701 and 1703 he worked, together with his brother MarCo, sculptor, for the fresco decoration (now illegible) of the church villa in Soella (Vicenza). On October 16, 1703 he married Isabella Carcano. On March 26, 1715 he made a will and died on April 3 of the same year, in Vicenza. The frescoes in the refectory of the sanctuary of Monte Berico in Vicenza are considered authentic works by Aviani, probably made in 1708; the paintings preserved in the Civic Museum of Vicenza: “Landscape with Lazzaro and the rich Epulone”; “Christ among the doctors”; “The miraculous fishing”, works not datable but with attribution corroborated by style. In addition, the frescoes in the east and west corridors of the Villa La Rotonda, near Vicenza; the fresco in the apse basin of the chapel of the church S. Croce, Vicenza, now destroyed; the frescoes of the central hall of Villa Camerini a Montruglio (1714) and a painting of a “Porto Regio”, of which we have a print engraved by Dall'Acqua. From his works emerges the artistic background that animated the Venetian culture in the early eighteenth century. The scenic grandeur with which Aviani treats the architecture also suggests a stay in Emilia of the painter, in which he could have come into contact with the environment of the Bibiena. These contacts would be confirmed by the press of Cristoforo Dall'Acqua (Vicenza 1734-1787), “Il porto regio”, after a painting of Aviani. The press was part of a group of engravings, representing royal buildings, reproducing paintings of the Bibiena. In the eyes of Dall’Acqua, therefore, Aviani’s work was not foreign among those of the Emilians. Inside the sumptuous architectural whims, Aviani often depicts biblical scenes, in which the characters share the space and the narrative rhythm, along with figures drawn from everyday scenes, memories of the Veronese and Bassano heritage. Also in the works covered by this study the author does not seem to want to give up a biblical subject, though the purpose of the paintings appears to be clearly a staging scenography-architectural within which the characters are relegated to the role of extras. From the examination of the architectural Capriccio gathered under the name of Aviani then emerge common elements. The comparison between these works and the works in question highlights the proximity of the compositions. The imposing and scenic architectures are in fact equally characterized by the perspective-scenographic ability diffused in emilian “quadraturisti” and in Bibiena work. In fact, you can see the spectacular slender architecture in the lower part, the loggias that create chiaroscuro games with arches and binate columns placed on massive bases and overhung by projecting cornices. Significant also the comparison with two paintings with architectural whims in a night vision attributed to Francesco Aviani. In Aviani’s works it is possible to find a certain knowledge of the Roman Codazzi paint nd its early development of the eighteenth century, developed with the Locatelli, the Pannini and the less known Domenico Roberti. To Roberti have been recently attributed two works that have some compositional affinity with the canvases in question. The same can be done for a work on the antique market, attributed to Pietro Francesco...

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