GIAQUINTO, Corrado

This allegory reflects the intentions of the painters’s patron, the Spanish king Ferdinand IV of the House of Bourbon, who credited himself with bringing peace to his kingdom and ruling it justly, thus bestowing benefits and well-being upon citizens.

This painting is a reduced version of the great altarpiece of the Assumption of the Virgin painted by Giaquinto in 1739 for the high altar of the Church of the Assumption in Rocca di Papa, southeast of Rome. Rather than a preliminary work or presentation piece, it was more likely a replica made by the artist after the completion of the altarpiece.

This canvas is a modello for Corrado Giaquinto’s altarpiece in the church of Madonna del Carmine, Turin. The painting is one of four known studies relating to the Turin altarpiece.

The altarpiece, completed in 1741, was commissioned for the church of Madonna del Carmine. It was destined for a chapel dedicated to the prophet Elijah.

This typical work from the artist’s mature period was executed in the 1750s in Spain.

During his stay in Spain, Giaquinto enjoyed a high reputation equal to that of his compatriot Gianbattista Tiepolo. His output includes a number of altarpieces and easel paintings, although his most important legacy exists through his frescos painted for his royal patron, the most celebrated of which are for the Royal Chapel and the principal staircase of the Palacio de Oriente. Giaquinto’s work left a profound influence on the generation of artists working in Spain during the second half of the 18th century, such as Francisco Bayeu, Antonio Gonz�lez Vel�zquez and even Francisco de Goya.

These frescoes are on the vault above the main staircase of the Royal Palace in Madrid. This is the second work of Giaquinto in the palace after the frescoes of the Chapel. The stucco decoration waas made by J. B. Andreoli from the designs of Giaquinto.

This painting is a sketch of one of the two paintings Giaquinto executed for the church of Santa Teresa in Turin, where he painted frescoes as well.

The painting depicts God addressing a devil, who in turn points downward. The devil has the usual attributes of the fallen angel: dark colouring, bats’ wings, pointed ears.

The painting has a pendant: Job Sacrificing to God to Ask for Blessings on His Sons. The lunette shape of the two compositions, their dimensions, and the swift manner in which they were executed suggests two sketches for frescoes, perhaps part of a more extensive cycle. The two paintings were first attributed to Sebastiano Conca then to Corrado Giaquinto. However, neither attributions are convincing.

St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) is rarely represented in art. She suffered a crippling disorder from which she was healed after a vision of the Blessed Virgin, and subsequently became a nun. She popularised the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the bleeding heart is chosen by Giaquinto as her symbol in this painting.

This canvas exemplifies Giaquinto’s painting technique perfectly. His dazzling brushwork is especially evident in the glowing vision of the Sacred Heart, which is skilfully rendered in the transparent layers of delicately coloured glazes that are the hallmark of Giaquinto’s mature style.

The subject of this fresco on the vault of the Hall of Columns of the Royal Palace in Madrid involves an allusion to King Charles III in the form of Apollo as a solar deity, since it represents The Sun at whose appearance all the forces of nature become joyful and animated. Apollo, who advances in his chariot through the ring of the Zodiac, is accompanied by the Hours and preceded by Aurora and the Zephyr. Lower down the seasons of the year and the elements are symbolized by Ceres, Bacchus, Venus, Vulcan, Diana, Pan and Galatea.

The stucco decoration was executed by Bartolomeo Rusca.

This is an oil version of the ceiling fresco executed by the artist in the Royal Palace in Madrid.

This study is a bozzetto for a ceiling for a church or noble house in Madrid and it probably acted as the presentation piece shown by the artist to his patron. The final work is not known which implies that the ceiling has since been destroyed or perhaps the project was never approved.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 7 minutes):

Johann Sebastian Bach: Komm, heiliger Geist, choral BWV 652

The painting is a modello for part of Giaquinto’s fresco executed in 1731 for the cupola of the church of San Nicola dei Lorenesi in Rome. This commission marked his debut as an independent artist in Rome.

The story is recounted in the Book of Tobit. Tobias was sent by his father Tobit to Media to recover a sum of money he had hidden there earlier. Archangel Raphael, sent by God to help Tobit and his family, asked Tobit (who did not recognize the angel) whether he may escort his son on his journey and, in company with Tobias’ faithful hound, they departed together. They reached the Tigris, where Tobias was attacked by a gigantic fish. The archangel ordered him to capture it and had him remove and conserve its gall, heart and liver. The innards proved to be a medicine which he can use to restore his father’s sight.