CIGNANI, Carlo

Joseph was the elder son of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and of Rachel. His numerous older brothers were strictly only half-brothers, being the sons of Leah or of handmaidens. The events of his romantic life story have been depicted continuously in Christian art from the 6th century onwards. The medieval Church saw the episodes of his life as a prefiguration of the life of Christ, and it is to this that he owes his important place in Christian art.

When in Egypt as a slave, Potiphar, captain of the Pharaoh’s guard, bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites and made him steward of his household (Gen. 39:7-20). Potiphar’s wife ‘cast her eyes over him and said, “Come and lie with me.”’ He refused her though she continued to press him. One day when they were alone together she clutched his robes, pleading with him to make love to her. At this, Joseph fled so precipitately that he left his cloak at her hands. When Potiphar came home she avenged her humiliation by accusing Joseph of trying to violate her, using the cloak as evidence. Joseph was promptly thrown into prison.

The present work is an outstanding example of Cignani’s intense artistic expression, impressive not only for its strongly emotional content, but also for the brilliance of its formal composition. Cignani painted this subject several times in his workshop, but only the Dresden version is acknowledged to be entirely his own work.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 5 minutes):

�tienne Nicolas M�hul: Joseph, aria

In this bust length depictions of Madonna and ChiId, Cignani displays the clear influence of Correggio, as well as the influence of Guido Reni, and Cignani’s own teacher Francesco Albani, who like Cignani excelled at tender representations of the Madonna and Child executed on copper.

This painting is above the antechoir passageway in Sant’Andrea della Valle. It belongs to the scenes from the martyrdom of St Andrew painted by Mattia Preti on the choir walls. Originally Preti was also supposed to paint the smaller panels above the passages to the presbytery chapels. Because of a litigation, he never actually did so, and the two panels were ultimately executed by the Albani pupils Carlo Cignani and Emilio Taruffi. The scenes - St Andrew Condemned by Aegeus, and Arrival of the St Andrew Relic in Ancona - produced jointly by the two young Bolognese artists completed the cycle.

This colossal canvas is a masterly representative of the Bolognese school. A perfect blend of Correggiesque tenderness and classicising design, it belonged to the famous collection of Prince Mikl�s Esterh�zy II.