NOMÉ, François de

The exact title of the painting is A Fantastic Architectural View Evoking “Daniel in the Lion’s Den”.

Until recent years the paintings of Fran�ois de Nom�, together with those of Didier Barra, were attributed to a mysterious “Monsù Desiderio”.

The painting shows a view of the Molo and the Piazzetta from the Bacino di San Marco in Venice.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 3 minutes):

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Songs without Words op. 30 No. 5 (Venetian gondola song)

In this architectural “capriccio” is one of the surreal images by Fran�ois de Nom�, called Monsù Desiderio.

Fran�ois de Nom� was known to work with collaborators who added the staffage to his landscapes, views and fantasies. The handling of Christ and the other foreground figures in the present compositiion does suggest a collaborative effort in this large scale canvas.

The story of Belisarius was that of a loyal and successful general in the service of the Byzantine emperor Justinian. He had won major victories against the Vandals, Goths and Bulgarians, but he then became implicated in political intrigues, was accused of treason and disgraced. He became an outcast and was even reduced to begging; one version of the story also said that his eyes were put out.

The painting shows a scene - Belisarius is recognized by one of the soldiers who served under him. The painter emphasizes the architectural setting (a stage set) and the light effects.

Fran�ois de Nom� exploited a style he made entirely his own, with scenic architecture - either based on fantasy or inspired by real monuments - framing small-scale episodes drawn from the Bible, history or mythology. His figures, whether few or large in number, or even in isolation, successfully play their part in his stories by expressing a mood, in this case the curiosity provoked by Christ’s arrival in the Holy City.

Although the subject is taken from the Old Testament, the picture is an excuse for one of the artist’s dramatic effects. No other artist of the seventeenth century had such a sense of theatricality.

The exact title of the painting is Landscape with Roman Ruins Evoking the Destruction of Caire.

Until recent years the paintings of Fran�ois de Nom�, together with those of Didier Barra, were attributed to a mysterious “Monsù Desiderio”.

Many of the artists pictures are scenes of martyrdom against an architectural background. The saint or saints involved have often not been identified.

Nom� was one of the inventors of a genre, the ‘capriccio’ which became very popular in the 18th century. This painting depicts an imaginary building and tomb.