Giuseppe Picano (Sant'Elia Fiumerapido, 1732 – c. 1810)
Raphael the Archangel
Polychrome wood and glass paste, cm h. 139 x 40 x 60
Critical sheet by Prof. Giuseppe Sava
Considered one of the most fascinating figures of 18th-century Neapolitan art, Giuseppe Picano distinguished himself as an excellent interpreter of wood sculpture, capable of imbuing wood with the same softness and emotional intensity as stone. A son of artists, his father Francesco Antonio was also a sculptor. He was born in Sant'Elia Fiumerapido, in the current province of Frosinone, in 1732 and was subsequently active in Naples until the early 19th century (he died around 1810). Picano trained in the vibrant heart of mature Neapolitan Baroque. He honed his skills under the guidance and work of Neapolitans Luigi Vanvitelli and his son Carlo, later becoming the main collaborator and close follower of Giuseppe Sanmartino, creator of the famous Veiled Christ (currently preserved in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples), and Giacomo Colombo. The result of this successful synergy was the extraordinary 1740 Nativity group housed in the church of Santa Maria in Portico in Naples: a unique monumental complex, comprising 24 life-size figures still admirable in their original setting. While primarily working between Naples and Campania and preferring wood for his sacred subjects, Picano demonstrated extraordinary versatility, successfully engaging with marble, terracotta, stucco, and papier-mâché. His stylistic signature is defined by a vibrant realism, visible in the expressive faces and complex chiaroscuro drapery that give dynamism to the figures, as seen in the statues of saints and sacred figures within the Church of the Santissima Annunziata in Naples. His fame led him to distribute his works throughout the Kingdom, leaving valuable testaments in Calabria as well, in addition to the numerous saints and Nativity scenes that still adorn the altars of many Neapolitan churches today, confirming him as a fundamental bridge between the theatricality of the mature Baroque and the composure of the emerging Neoclassical taste.
From a technical standpoint, after carving the wood, usually soft woods like lime or poplar, Picano applied a thin linen or hemp cloth soaked in glue, used to cover the grain and joints of the material. On this base, he applied numerous layers of plaster and animal glue, which were then meticulously smoothed to obtain a surface as smooth and silky as porcelain. This preparation was fundamental for the rendering of the skin tones: the artist did not simply paint the surface but created an artificial "skin" capable of reacting to light naturally. The color was applied through successive oil glazes, with a palette ranging from pearlescent tones for the Madonnas to browner, more wrinkled tones for hermit saints or prophets. To enhance realism, Picano used the technique of "blushes": he applied pink or vermilion hues to the knuckles, elbows, cheeks, and around the eyelids, simulating the blood flow typical of a living body. A distinctive technical detail, inherited from the great tradition of Neapolitan Nativity scenes, was the insertion of glass or retro-painted glass paste eyes, as in the case of the Raphael the Archangel under examination: they were inserted from the inside of the skull or set with extreme precision into the sockets, giving the statue a supernatural depth of gaze. Finally, the application of a final varnish, often based on mastic or amber, provided that slight sheen that imitated the natural moisture of the skin and eyes, making his sculptures almost unsettling in their verisimilitude.
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