Offered by Antichità Castelbarco
Archangel Michael
Guido Reni (Bologna 1575–1642) Follower of
17th–18th century
Oil on canvas 134 x 96 cm. - Framed 147 x 108 cm.
The work in question, of excellent quality and condition, is based on Guido Reni’s famous altarpiece depicting Saint Michael the Archangel, created in 1635 for the Church of the Capuchins in Rome (photo 1 **), built through the generosity of Cardinal Antonio Barberini (1569–1646), brother of Urban VIII.
The great painter moved to Rome in 1602, following an intensive apprenticeship in Bologna, and soon became a renowned interpreter of the tastes of the most culturally influential circles, winning the patronage of prominent figures such as Popes Paul V, Urban VIII, and Scipione Borghese.
The painting depicts the majestic figure of Saint Michael the Archangel, engaged here in the battle against Evil, represented as a young man of rare beauty, strong and delicate at the same time, who, with his sword drawn, casts an angry devil into hell, trampling the devil’s head underfoot.
The soft drapery envelops the angel’s body with an intense classicism, where a balanced composition directs the viewer’s attention to his angelic face.
The painting received great recognition and esteem from contemporaries and was an immediate and incredible success, aided in part by the controversy it sparked among the Pamphili family, who had long been at odds with the Barberini, the painting’s patrons.
In fact, upon learning that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Pamphili, the future Pope Innocent X, had slandered him, Reni, in an act of revenge, depicted the Devil with the cardinal’s face.
Guido Reni’s cunning lay in exploiting the historic rivalry between two of the most influential families in 17th-century Rome for his own personal revenge, while simultaneously granting his work sudden fame.
Reni tackled this subject on several occasions, and it was highly appreciated by his patrons thanks to its formal clarity and compositional balance—elements that still make it one of the cornerstones of Roman classicism today.
With the help of his workshop, he would return to the same subjects multiple times, producing versions of his most successful compositions, which makes it difficult to distinguish between workshop replicas—often enhanced by his own touch—and posthumous copies that became independent reinterpretations by some of his best students or followers. **Saint Michael the Archangel, 1635 - Guido Reni (Bologna, 1575 - 1642) Oil on silk; 295x202 cm Rome, Church of Santa Maria Immacolata Concezione
Delevery information :
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We take great care We personally take care of the packaging, to which we devote a great deal of care: each work is carefully packed, first with arti- cle material, then with a custom-made wooden box.
Should you have the desire to see this or other works in person, we would be happy to welcome you to our gallery in Riva del Garda, Viale Giuseppe Canella 18, we are always open by appointment only.
