Antonio Tempesta (Florence 1555 - Rome 1630) Circle
Saint James defeating the Moors in battle
Oil on canvas (112 x 102 cm - Framed 125 x 114 cm.)
Full details (LINK)
A valiant knight with his sword drawn, proud in his sumptuous armor trimmed with golden ornaments, skillfully steering a majestic white horse, is placed at the center of the painting: it is a suggestive image of Saint James in battle, defeating the fleeing Moors.
This subject celebrates the more tumultuous aspect of Saint James' character, which earned him and his brother John the nickname Boanerges, meaning "Sons of Thunder," in the Gospel of Mark (3:17).
According to tradition, around the mid-9th century, in the midst of the struggles for the Reconquista of the Spanish lands occupied by the Moors, while enemy armies clashed at Clavijo, Saint James appeared in defense of the Christian troops, who were frightened by the animosity of their opponents, thus influencing the outcome of the war.
This is a rare iconography of the Saint, which invests him with the status of an impetuous and unstoppable knight against the infidels, so much so that he earned the nickname Matamoros, meaning Moor-slayer, in Spanish popular imagination.
It was therefore a recurring theme in Hispanic iconography, but it also spread in Italian art, as an allegory of the Victory of the Faith.
Although it is a religious subject, it is not excluded that it was intended for private devotion rather than a place of worship: the painting indeed has a distinctly "profane" rather than devotional character.
This is a work - for which a pendant is available (link) - attributed to the workshop of Antonio Tempesta (Florence 1555 - Rome 1630), a leading artist of fundamental importance for the 17th-century development of the pictorial genre of 'battle scenes'.
His style, which falls within the late Renaissance or early Baroque period, is characterized by elements such as compositional dynamism, dramatic use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), and expressive figures.
He shaped his art within the culture of late 16th-century Mannerism, acquired through his early training in Florence in the workshop of the Flemish artist Giovanni Stradano, with whom he collaborated on the decorative project of Palazzo Vecchio.
Primarily active in Rome from 1572, he worked for Pope Gregory XIII on decorations in the Vatican Loggias, and for many of the most noble and influential families, such as the Farnese, Borghese, Giustiniani, and Rospigliosi-Pallavicini, being especially sought after as a creator of historical and biblical battle scenes.
Precisely from 1613 onwards, he created a series of engravings of "biblical battles" for Grand Duke Cosimo II, inspired by Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered," subjects that allowed him to achieve great success within the Medici family and the Florentine court, and which served as a source of inspiration for his subsequent pictorial production.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The work is completed by a pleasant gilded wooden frame and is sold with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.
We handle and organize the transportation of purchased works, both within Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. Should you wish to view this or other works in person, we will be pleased to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!
Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you.
Follow us also on:
https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/
