Alessandro Rosi (1627–1697)
St Sébastien cared for by Ste Irene
Oil on canvas
Height: 132 cm (51.9 in); Width: 167.5 cm (65.9 in)
Brest’s Museum of Fine Arts
Sebastian stood by a staircase where the emperor was to pass and harangued Diocletian for his cruelties against Christians. This freedom of speech greatly astonished the emperor; who gave orders for his being seized and beaten to death with cudgels, and his body thrown into the common sewer. A pious lady, called Irene, admonished by the martyr in a vision, got it privately removed, and buried it in the catacombs at the entrance of the cemetery of Calixtus, where now stands the Basilica of St. Sebastian. More on St. Sebastian
Alessandro Rosi, (Florence 1627–1697)
Diana, a Satyr and Cupid
Oil on canvas
85 x 67 cm
Private collection
Sold for EUR 32,800.- in May 2019
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt, the moon and nature being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was eventually equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy. Diana was worshipped in ancient Roman religion and is revered in Roman Neopaganism and Stregheria. Diana was known to be the virgin goddess of childbirth and women. She was one of the three maiden goddesses — along with Minerva and Vesta — who swore never to marry. More on Diane
Alessandro Rosi
The Judgment of Paris
Oil on canvas
70 x 55 cm
Private collection
Sold for €89,940.00 in Jun 2010
Alessandro Rosi
The judgement of Paris
oil on canvas
28 1/2 by 23 in.; 72.5 by 58.5 cm.
Private collection
Estimate for 120,000 - 180,000 USD in January 2013
The present canvas is an early work by Rosi. Compared with his more complicated and multi figured mature pictures, compositions from his early career can be generally categorized as simpler, and with only a few essential figures.
Rosi executed another version of the present composition, of slightly smaller dimensions. (See above)
According to the myth, which varies slightly between Greek and Roman sources, Zeus held a banquet to celebrate the marriage of Achilles' parents. Having not been invited, Eris, the Goddess of Discord, threw a golden apple into the fray, which was inscribed 'to the fairest one'. Athena (Goddess of War), Hera (Zeus's wife and Queen of the Gods) and Aphrodite (Goddess of Love) each claimed that the apple was certainly meant for them, and the mortal Paris was appointed by Zeus to judge who should receive the prize. Having each bathed in the spring of Ida, the goddesses appeared to Paris, who was tending his flock on the mountain, and attempted to bribe him with various prizes. Hera offered to make him King, Athena to transform him into the ultimate warrior, and Aphrodite offered the love of the world's most beautiful woman. In the end, he awarded the apple to Aphrodite and received in return the love of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, thereby providing the catalyst for the Trojan War. More on The judgement of Paris
Alessandro Rosi
Ceres
Oil on canvas
22 3/8 by 33 1/4 in.; 56.8 by 84.5 cm.
Private collection
Estimated for $20,000 USD - $30,000 USD in Jan 2008
In ancient Roman religion, Ceres was a goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships. She was originally the central deity in Rome's so-called plebeian or Aventine Triad, then was paired with her daughter Proserpina in what Romans described as "the Greek rites of Ceres". Her seven-day April festival of Cerealia included the popular Ludi Ceriales (Ceres' games) She is usually depicted as a mature woman.
Ceres is the only one of Rome's many agricultural deities to be listed among the Dii Consentes, Rome's equivalent to the Twelve Olympians of Greek mythology. The Romans saw her as the counterpart of the Greek goddess Demeter, whose mythology was reinterpreted for Ceres in Roman art and literature. More on Ceres
Alessandro Rosi
Bacchanalia, c. 1670
Oil on canvas, 67 x 90 cm
Private collection
Bacchanalia, also called Dionysia, in Greco-Roman religion, any of the several festivals of Bacchus (Dionysus), the wine god. They probably originated as rites of fertility gods. Introduced into Rome from lower Italy, the Bacchanalia were at first held in secret, attended by women only, on three days of the year. Later, admission was extended to men, and celebrations took place as often as five times a month. The reputation of these festivals as orgies led in 186 bc to a decree of the Roman Senate that prohibited the Bacchanalia throughout Italy, except in certain special cases. Nevertheless, Bacchanalia long continued in the south of Italy. More on Bacchanalia
Alessandro Rosi
The guardian angel
Oil on canvas
69.3 by 55.9 cm.; 27 1/4 by 22 in.
Private collection
Sold for 37,500 GBP in December 2014
This engaging image embodies those qualities of emotional and religious intensity depicted in the sinuous style of the Florentine Seicento for which Alessandro Rosi is admired. The theme of the guardian angel was employed several times by Carlo Dolci, the leading figure in Florence of the generation preceeding Rosi's. Dolci's influence can be felt in the in the use of the half-length figures, the intensity of the relationship between the angel and youth, and in the distinctive profile of the angel. More on this painting
Cain and Abel
oil on canvas
26 3/4 by 20 1/2 in.; 68 by 52 cm.
Private collection
Sold for 37,500 USD in January 2018
In the dramatic scene, Rosi depicts the moment just after Cain has slain his brother Abel, who lays ashen in the foreground, as God the Father appears in a swirl of clouds above. In Rosi's striking composition, Cain's back is turned to the viewer as he looks up at God above, the drama of their encounter enhanced by the stormy blue and purple sky. More on this painting
Alessandro Rosi
Rebecka at the well
Oil on canvas
117 x 92 cm
Private collection
Abraham wanted a wife for his son Isaac and sent his senior steward to his homeland of Mesopotamia to find a suitable woman. Tired after his long journey, the steward stopped at a well and prayed for guidance. When Rebecca came to get water, she offered it to the old man and his camels, and he recognized her as the appointed bride.
Alessandro Rosi
Hagar and the Angel
Oil on canvas
101 x 80 cm
Private collection
Sold for GBP 24,000 in Jul 2005
In this biblical narrative, which appears in Genesis 21:15–19, Hagar and her son Ishmael are expelled from Abraham’s house and wander in the wilderness for days. Having run out of water, Hagar can no longer bear the sight of her suffering son, so she leaves Ishmael under a bush and goes off to pray.
Then an angel appears to her and says, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” God opens her eyes, and she sees a well to provide water for her dying son. She fills her empty flask with water and returns to the young boy to revive him. More on Hagar and the Angel
Alessandro Rosi
The Holy family
Oil on canvas
Musée départemental de l'Oise
Alessandro Rosi
The Holy Family
Oil on canvas
47 5/8 x 43 7/8 in. (121 x 111.5 cm.)
Private collection
Sold for GBP 344,750 in Jul 2018
The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph. Veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de Laval, the first bishop of New France, who founded a Confraternity.
Matthew and Luke narrate the episodes from this period of Christ's life, namely his Circumcision and later Presentation, the Flight to Egypt, the return to Nazareth, and the Finding in the Temple.[Joseph and Mary were apparently observant Jews, as Luke narrates that they brought Jesus with them on the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem with other Jewish families. More on The Holy Family
The arrangement of the Madonna and Child is drawn from a successful invention by Dandini, which Rosi’s master treated on a number of occasions, including versions in the Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova in Florence and a private collection in Milan (S. Bellesi, Cesare Dandini, Turin, 1996, pp. 177-8, nos. 119-120). Rosi elaborates on the composition with a touch of humour and domestic realism, as the cat paws at the dish on the table, and the Child plays with the bows of the Madonna’s dress; the embroidered draperies and architectural setting meanwhile speak of a new baroque exuberance. More on this painting
Alessandro Rosi (Florence 1627–1697)
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
Oil on canvas
108 x 84 cm
Private collection
Estimated for EUR 40,000.- to EUR 60,000.- in Oct 2017
The painting shows the episode that gave rise to the term "Doubting Thomas" which, formally known as the Incredulity of Thomas, had been frequently represented in Christian art since at least the 5th century, and used to make a variety of theological points. According to the Gospel of John, Thomas the Apostle missed one of Jesus's appearances to the Apostles after his resurrection, and said "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."John 20:25 A week later, Jesus appeared and told Thomas to touch him and stop doubting. Then Jesus said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."John 20:29 More on The Incredulity of Saint Thomas
Alessandro Rosi
Mary Magdalene
Oil on canvas
144 x 89.5 cm
Private collection
Sold for 30.000,00 EUR
Mary Magdalene is sitting on a rock with a wooden crucifix in hand and surrounded by angels. The color of the drapery, lying in order to create subtle chiaroscuro effects, gives plasticity to the figure.
Mary Magdalene, literally translated as Mary the Magdalene or Mary of Magdala, is a figure in Christianity who, according to the Bible, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers. She is said to have witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Within the four Gospels she is named more than most of the apostles. Based on texts of the early Christian era in the third century, it seems that her status as an “apostle" rivals even Peter's.
The Gospel of Luke says seven demons had gone out of her. She is most prominent in the narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus, at which she was present. She was also present two days later when, she was, either alone or as a member of a group of women, the first to testify to the resurrection of Jesus. John 20 and Mark 16:9 specifically name her as the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection.
During the Middle Ages, Mary Magdalene was regarded in Western Christianity as a repentant prostitute or promiscuous woman, claims not found in any of the four canonical gospels. More Mary Magdalene
Alessandro Rosi (Florence 1627-1707)
The Ecstasy of Saint Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi
oil on canvas
47¼ x 40 in. (120 x 101.6 cm.)
Private collection
Sold for GBP 46,100 in Apr 2008
St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi was a Carmelite nun of Florence who lived from 1566 to 1607. Baptised Caterina, she was the daughter of a union between two great noble families--her father being Camillo Geri de' Pazzi and her mother a member of the Buondelmonti house. Caterina received her first ecstatic vision at the age of 12. From the age of 14 she studied at the Calaresse, where the sisters observed her remarkable piety and prophesied that she would become a great saint. At the age of 16, having convinced her parents of her decision to dedicate herself to God, Caterina entered the Carmelite convent of Santa Maria degl' Angeli, well-known for its strict observance; she was clothed in 1583--taking the name Maria Maddalena--and professed in 1584.
The extraordinary was ordinary for this saint. She read the thoughts of others and predicted future events. During her lifetime, Mary Magdalene appeared to several persons in distant places and cured a number of sick people.
St. Mary held a number of offices in the convent before rising to that of Superior in 1604. Throughout her life, she continued to experience divine raptures, which often led her to utter maxims of Divine Love and spiritual counsel that were later collected as her Works. Beatified by Urban VII on 8 May 1626, she was canonised by Clement IX on 28 April 1669; her feast is kept on 27 May. More on Alessandro Rosi
Alessandro Rosi (Florence 1627 - 1697)
Sant'Agata curated by San Pietro, c. 1650-60
Oil on octagonal canvas
98x77 cm and 94x78 cm
Private collection
Sold for 70 000 € in May 2019
Rosi adopted this style that led him to success: dense and flagrant brushstrokes, drapery puffy, bright and enameled colors, strong chiaroscuro effects.
Pietro is caught in the act of spreading the ointment on the battered breast of the young woman who perhaps out of modesty looks away from the loving gesture, showing us the profile, the shoulder and the breast left uncovered by the shirt. The pose of this female figure recurs throughout Rosi's work.
The sacred book and the palm of martyrdom in the foreground and the three blond cherubs with tufts wind in the background. More on this painting
Having dedicated her virginity to God, fifteen-year-old Agatha rejected the amorous advances of tRoman prefect Quintianus, who then persecuted her for her Christian faith. He sent Agatha to Aphrodisia, the keeper of a brothel. The madam finding her intractable, Quintianus sent for her, argued, threatened, and finally had her put in prison. Amongst the tortures she underwent was the cutting off of her breasts with pincers. After further dramatic confrontations with Quintianus, Saint Agatha was then sentenced to be burnt at the stake, but an earthquake saved her from that fate; instead, she was sent to prison where St. Peter the Apostle appeared to her and healed her wounds. Saint Agatha died in prison. More on Saint Agatha of Sicily
Alessandro Rosi (1627–1697)
Santa Cristina consoled by the Angels, c. 1650-60
Oil on octagonal canvases
98x77 cm and 94x78 cm
Private collection
Estimated for £15,000 GBP - £25,000 GBP in Jul 2005
The painting narrates the tortures inflicted by the father and the emperor on the young and beautiful Cristina, first segregated in a tower and then pierced by arrows following her obstinacy not to want to renounce the Christian faith. Her bruised complexion is the clear sign of the suffering she is undergoing.
Wrapped in a lilac-colored dress, on which rests a white shawl embellished with blue and golden borders, Cristina is tied by a rope to a pole, exposed to the wrath of torturers who nevertheless do not appear in the representation. Unbalanced on one side, with her head bent, looking afflicted and aching, the young woman seems to find comfort only in the little angel who offers her the palm of martyrdom and in the two cherubs that look out into the sky crossed by clouds streaked with the same lilac of the his dress. More on this painting
Alessandro Rosi (1627–1697)
S. Michele e S. Benedetto/S. Michele and S. Benedetto, c. 1665
Oil on canvas
Monastero di San Clemente (Prato)
San Michele is the Italian name of Saint Michael the Archangel.
The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in 3rd and 2nd century BCE Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic, where he is the chief of the angels and archangels and responsible for the care of Israel. Christianity adopted nearly all the Jewish traditions concerning him, and he is mentioned explicitly in Revelation where he does battle with Satan, and in the Epistle of Jude, where the author denounces heretics by contrasting them with the Michael. He is also mentioned in surah of the Quran, where the Jews of Medina challenge Muhammed to tell them the name of the angel from whom he received revelation, and when told that it was Gabriel they reply that revelations came from Michael. More on Saint Michael
Saint Benedict founded twelve communities for monks at Subiaco, Lazio, Italy, before moving to Monte Cassino in the mountains of southern Italy. The Order of Saint Benedict is of later origin and, moreover, not an "order" as commonly understood but merely a confederation of autonomous congregations.
Benedict's main achievement, his "Rule of Saint Benedict", contains a set of rules for his monks to follow. Heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian, it shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master, but it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness, which persuaded most Christian religious communities founded throughout the Middle Ages to adopt it. As a result, his Rule became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom. For this reason, Giuseppe Carletti regarded Benedict as the founder of Western Christian monasticism. More on Saint Benedict
Alessandro Rosi (1627–1697)
Female Saint with Putto
c. 1646
Oil on canvas, 64 x 51 cm
Private collection
Sold for GBP 37,600 in Dec 2001
The life and career of Alessandro Rosi had long remained hidden from scholarly attention, until 1989 when Alessandra Guicciardini published a study on his commission for the Palazzo Corsini in Florence. Until that point, many of his pictures had routinely been attributed to Sigismondo Coccapani, a Florentine contemporary, close in style. Rosi led a colourful life, noted by his biographers as a skilled draughtsman, who trained with Cesare Dandini and worked for Ferdinand de’ Medici, and died in an ‘extraordinary accident’: while walking on the via Condotta in Florence, a column fell from a terrace above and killed him. More on Alessandro Rosi
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