Saint Michael the Archangel, Antonio Maria Viani (Cremona, c. 1550 – Mantua, c. 1635)

Antonio Maria Viani (Cremona, circa 1550 – Mantua, circa 1635)
Saint Michael the Archangel
Oil on canvas (78 x 61 cm. – In an antique frame 89 x 71 cm.)
On the bottom there are traces of an ancient inscription with the acronym DCAI, a Greek abbreviation referring to the divine attributes of the Saint: D (Dikaios, the Just), C (Custos, guardian/protector of the Church), Α (Archangelus) and I (Invictus or never defeated warrior).

Full details of the painting (click here)

This image of Saint Michael the Archangel is evocative, depicted with outstretched wings and his armor, his right hand gripping a flaming sword while the other holds a rod from which hangs a scale, on which the souls are placed, and which he will use to evaluate their merits and sins.

It is therefore an extremely fascinating subject, extrapolated from the theme of the Last Judgement and precisely from the 'psychostasia', or the phase of the weighing of souls by Saint Michael: according to the book of Revelation, he had the power to sift souls before the Final Judgement, choosing the elect to ascend to heaven and the damned to fall into hell.

The canvas is a precious testimony of the Lombard painting school between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, attributable to the hand of the Cremonese painter Antonio Maria Viani (Cremona, 1550 – Mantua, 1635): our subject is specifically extrapolated from the splendid work entitled 'The Trinity with the Last Judgement' conceived by Viani himself and then made famous by the engraving by Jan Sadeler (https://catalogo.fondazionezeri.unibo.it/scheda/fotografia/168116/) (Ref.1)

Our canvas is therefore a derivation of the large composition, from which the figure of Saint Michael was extrapolated to make it the sole subject.

Two versions of the entire composition by Viani are known, one in Naples at the Girolamini Monumental Complex (Ref.2 – oil on copper, 49,5 x 36 cm.), the other at the Pinacoteca Stuard in Parma (Ref.3 – oil on canvas, 59 x 48 cm., https://bbcc.regione.emilia-romagna.it/pater/loadcard.do?id_card=204916).

This last canvas, in terms of pictorial style, is very similar to our Saint Michael: we can detect the same formal elegance and the marked inclination towards Mannerism, even at the chromatic level, typical of Viani, which initially developed in Cremona, his hometown, under the teachings of Giulio Campi and consolidated during his stay at the court of Munich, in the service of Duke William V.

During his time in Bavaria, his style absorbed elements from the taste of Nordic artists such as Friedrich Sustris and Peter de Witte, integrating the Italian tradition with a search for scenographic effects typical of European courts.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work for sale is completed by a pleasant antique frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.

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