 |
Matteo Rosselli (Florence 1578-1650) Saint Cecilia Oil on canvas
Related bibliography:
This vibrant and impressive painting of St. Cecilia depicts the early Christian virgin in her traditional role as the patron saint of music. Scion of a Roman patrician family, Cecilia distributed her inheritance among the poor and took a vow of chastity in order to make herself more pleasing to God. The organ, her usual attribute, originated in the legend that her virtue and purity enabled her to hear the mystical harmonies of the celestial spheres. Here, seated at the edge of a baroque armchair with her face reflecting an unseen source of dazzling light, she plays the instrument without looking at the notes before her, as though divinely inspired. The text running beneath the score (fiat cor meum Domine immaculatum, 'make my heart pure, O Lord') reasserts her piety, as does the modest cut of her nonetheless opulent garment. The pearl-studded tiara set high on her golden locks foreshadows the crown of martyrdom that she will soon earn through her sacrifice, while the barely perceptible veil cascading from the headpiece again underscores her virgin status. Lost in contemplation, the young maiden seems unaware of the two, robust cherubs at her side, who look up at her with doting eyes. While one appears to be pointing at the music with his chubby fist, the other, swathed in billowing silk, displays a wreath of pink and white roses, symbols of the saint's immaculate soul and imminent passion. The simple, perfectly balanced, monumental composition, rich colors, adept use of chiaroscuro, brilliant colors, and seamless integration of Tuscan, Emilian, and Venetian elements, point to the hand of Matteo Roselli, one of the most important and influential painters in seventeenth-century Florence. Celebrated for his classical compositions, descriptive naturalism and brilliant colors, Matteo enjoyed great and rapid success in his native city. Born in 1578, he entered Gregorio Pagani workshop before his tenth birthday and was inscribed in the prestigious Accademia del Disegno by 1599. In 1605 he left for Rome with Domenico Passagnani, where the two foriends could view not only classical antiquities and the works of the great Renaissance masters, but also the more recent accomplishments of Caravaggio, Barrocci, and the young Rubens. Returning to Florence six months later, Matteo took over Pagani's workshop after the latter's death. In the decades that followed he received countless private and ecclesiastical commissions. By 1619 his patrons included many prestigious Florentine families, among whom were the Corsini, Dragomanni, and most importantly the Medici, for whom he painted The Triumph of David (1621, Florence, Galleria Palatina,), the allegorical scenes in the Sala della Stufa at the Pitti Palace, and a series of biblical and historical heroines in the villa at Poggio Imperiale. Active until his death in 1650, Matteo trained many renowned painers of the next generation including Francesco Furini, Baldassare Franceschini, and Jacopo Vignali. Trained in the Florentine manner, Matteo was nonetheless receptive of artistic developments in northern Italy, especially in the second half of his career. The St. Lucy here is clearly an example of his mature style, when he fell increasingly under the spell of Correggio and Guido Reni. Whereas the rotund physiques, sensuous features and languorous expressions of the angels reveal his debt to the former, the jewel-like colors, upturned faces, and modest decorum of the young virgin seem more in keeping with the devotional imagery of the latter. Evident here too is Matteo's expertise in rendering texture, most notably in the magnificent striped satin sleeves, starched Flemish trimmings and golden brocade of Cecilia's voluminous dress, in the plush velvet tablecloth covering the table, in the lightly painted, feathery wings of the angels, and finally in the creamy soft, skin of all three sensuously modeled faces. Matteo's authorship reveals itself most unambiguously in the clear, uncluttered composition, brilliant but tastefully balanced palette, and the idealized, but somewhat rotund features of all three figures. Characteristic too are the dimpled hands, rosebud lips, slightly elongated or upturned noses, and bejeweled tiaras that invariably crop up in Matteo's autograph or well-documented works, such as the Triumph of David, mentioned earlier, the Angelica and Medoro (Florence, private collection), the Sacra Famiglia (Florence, church of S. Simone), and the Sisara and Giaele (Rome, Mercato Antiquariale). Although this St. Cecilia seems to be the only surviving depiction of the popular subject by the Florentine master, a painting of the same virgin by Matteo's pupil, Jacopo Vignali (St. Cecilia, Dublin, National Gallery of Art), bears some resemblance to the canvas here -- most conspicuously in the expression, coiffure, and hand gestures of the girl -- albeit the composition is reversed. |