Domingo Motta (1872 – 1962), View of Ancient Rome – Jesus witnesses the triumph of Constantine

Domingo Motta (1872 – 1962)

View of ancient Rome Jesus witnesses the triumph of Constantine

Oil on canvas, 88 x 148 cm

With frame, 114 x 180 cm

Signed lower right

In this painting, the Ligurian painter Domingo Motta offers a profound reflection on the origins of Christianity as we know it, as well as citing an important work of historical reconstruction of ancient Rome.

In fact, the panorama depicted is a view of ancient Rome at the time of the triumph of Emperor Constantine in 312 AD. The cultured quotation refers to a famous work by Joseph Bühlmann (1844–1921) and Alexander Wagner (1838–1919): “Das Alte Rom mit dem Triumphzuge Kaiser Constantins im Jahre 312” or, better, Ancient Rome with the triumph of Emperor Constantine in 312, published in Munich in 1892. It is a reconstruction project of the times of ancient Rome created on a laporello (book or pamphlet that opens like an accordion) originally 1,76 cm long (composed of 22 sheets and 8 photographs). Today the original is no longer visible, but the original projects of which are preserved in the library of the University of Munich. Depicted is the grandiose Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus with the Theatre of Marcellus behind it. Instead, the building on the right was the entrance to the Tabularium. All in the distance, the buildings of the forum.

Here, Motta reworks the Roman view with some subtlety, adding the central figure of Christ observing the panorama and a peacock, a symbol of immortality and of Christ himself. The work's complex interpretation seems to be a reflection on the future resurgence of Christianity; in fact, it was Constantine in 313, with the Edict of Milan, who guaranteed all citizens, including Christians, the freedom to worship their deities. And why not also read the peacock as a symbol of the immortality of Rome, the eternal city?

Domingo Motta was born in Genoa in 1872. He studied classical studies at the Liceo Ginnasio Doria, then enrolled in the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts. He later frequented the studio of the Piedmontese landscape and portrait painter Vittorio Cavalleri, as well as that of the Ligurian painter Cesare Viazzi, at the Palazzo Doria del Principe. He completed his studies by enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. His early work, however, was in the field of set design for the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and other companies. His debut as a painter dates back to 1896, when he presented Schiuma nera at the Società Promotrice di Belle Arti. Around 1899, his experience in Paris began, which would prove particularly important. Before that, he regularly participated in Ligurian regional exhibitions and, in 1896, he became part of the Ligurian Artistic Family, around twenty-five artists including painters, sculptors and architects: Bardinero, GB Bassano, Angelo Costa, Calderara, Figari, Pennasilico, Sacheri, Guido Mejneri, Cesare Viazzi and others.

In 1898, he painted the famous painting "The Stonebreaker," inspired by verism and linked to a new, anti-bourgeois social realism. In 1899, he painted the portrait Iris (a tribute to the works of the Livorno composer Pietro Mascagni), a post-impressionist portrait with floral symbolist themes. Returning to his Parisian experience, Motta devoted particular attention to the study of color and new techniques, including the important painting "Study for a Portrait of Signora Pia Porta Crespi," dated 1900, in which he demonstrates his understanding of the new artistic theories of the time. In Paris, he exhibited several paintings and numerous engravings at the Galerie Georges Petit. He began exhibiting at the Parisian Salons, achieving considerable success. The Parisian publishers Pierrefor and Lebau, a German, published his engravings and, in the meantime, organized numerous exhibitions throughout Europe. Around 1906, enriched by these important experiences, he returned to Genoa.

He resumed exhibiting regularly at the Società Promotrice di Belle Arti, where in 1907 he presented the following works: The Garden; Portrait of a Lady; The Mist; The Tree. Along with De Albertis, he frequented Plinio Nomellini in Torre del Lago, thus becoming interested in Divisionism. In 1918, he participated in the "Young Liguria" exhibition in Viareggio; he created the first Municipal Engraving Cabinet, and from 1930 to 1934, he directed the Engraving Schools of the Ligurian Academy. A painter, engraver, and set designer, he pursued a varied artistic path. A sensitive portraitist, initially drawn to Art Nouveau-Symbolist atmospheres, he interpreted Divisionism and reached the experience of Second Futurism, while remaining committed to Realism and Decorativity.

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