19 Works, December 28th. is Alessandro Rosi's day, his art, illustrated with footnotes #256

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 (28 December 1627 in Rovezzano – 19 April 1697 in Florence) was an Italian artist, working during the Baroque period.

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

The present painting is an allegory of Chastity tempted by Vice, represented respectively by Diana and a Satyr. The subject created here by Alessandro Rosi attained considerable success among the painters of his day. More on this painting

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

Rosi trained in the workshops of Jacopo Vignali and Cesare Dandini, along with other young Florentine artists such as Carlo Dolci. It seems that he undertook a study trip to Rome, where he saw the work of Simon Vouet and Giovanni Lanfranco. In his early works the influence of his teacher Dandini can be seen, especially in the treatment of drapery, to which the latter always paid great attention. His biographer Baldinucci described him as having the extravagant temperament of an artist. Rosi enjoyed the patronage of some of the most important Florentine families of the time, such as the Corsini or Rinuccini families, for which he undertook large decorative projects. He also made a series of ten designs for tapestries commissioned by Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. His foremost pupil was Alessandro Gherardini. He died at the age of seventy after being struck by a falling column while walking along the Via Condotta in Florence.

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

Alessandro Rosi

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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19 Works, Today, May 26th. is Philippe de Champaigne's day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #144

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674)

The Lord's Supper

Oil on canvas

Height: 0.8 m; Width: 1.49 m

The Louvre

The Last Supper is the final meal that, in the Gospel accounts, Jesus shared with his Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "Holy Communion" or "The Lord's Supper".

 

The four canonical Gospels all state that the Last Supper took place towards the end of the week, after Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and that Jesus and his Apostles shared a meal shortly before Jesus was crucified at the end of that week. During the meal Jesus predicts his betrayal by one of the Apostles present, and foretells that before the next morning, Peter will deny knowing him.

 

The three Synoptic Gospels and the First Epistle to the Corinthians include the account of the institution of the Eucharist in which Jesus takes bread, breaks it and gives it to the Apostles, saying: "This is my body which is given for you". The Gospel of John does not include this episode, but tells of Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles, giving the new commandment "to love one another as I have loved you", and has a detailed farewell discourse by Jesus, calling the Apostles who follow his teachings "friends and not servants", as he prepares them for his departure.

 

Scholars have looked to the Last Supper as the source of early Christian Eucharist traditions. Others see the account of the Last Supper as derived from 1st-century eucharistic practice as described by Paul in the mid-50s. More on The Last Supper

Philippe de Champaigne (26 May 1602 – 12 August 1674) was a Brabançon-born French Baroque era painter, a major exponent of the French school. He was a founding member of the Académie de peinture et de sculpture in Paris, the premier art institution in France in the eighteenth century.

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674)

The Virgin of Sorrows at the foot of the cross

Oil on canvas

Height: 1.78 m; Width: 1.25 m
The Louvre

Our Lady of Sorrows, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows, and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life. As Mater Dolorosa, it is also a key subject for Marian art in the Catholic Church.

 

The Seven Sorrows of Mary are a popular Roman Catholic devotion. In common religious Catholic imagery, the Blessed Virgin Mary is portrayed in a sorrowful and lacrimating affect, with seven daggers piercing her heart, often bleeding. Devotional prayers that consist of meditation began to elaborate on her Seven Sorrows based on the prophecy of Simeon. Common examples of piety under this title are Servite rosary, or the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady and the Seven Joys of Mary and more recently, "Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary". More on Lady of Sorrows

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674)

Nativity of the Virgin, c. 1636 - 1638

Oil on canvas

Height: 4.35 m; Width: 4.3 m

Louvre Museum

In Christian theology the nativity marks the incarnation of Jesus as the second Adam, in fulfillment of the divine will of God, undoing the damage caused by the fall of the first man, Adam. The artistic depiction of the nativity has been a major subject for Christian artists since the 4th century. Since the 13th century, the nativity scene has emphasized the humility of Jesus and promoted a more tender image of him, as a major turning point from the early "Lord and Master" image, affecting the basic approaches of Christian pastoral ministry. More on the nativity

Born of a poor family in Brussels, during the reign of the Archduke Albert and Isabella, Champaigne was a pupil of the landscape painter Jacques Fouquières. In 1621 he moved to Paris, where he worked with Nicolas Poussin on the decoration of the Palais du Luxembourg under the direction of Nicolas Duchesne, whose daughter he would eventually marry. According to Houbraken, Duchesne was angry at Champaigne for becoming more popular than he was at court, and this is why Champaigne returned to Brussels to live with his brother.

Philippe de CHAMPAIGNE, (Brussels 1602 - Paris 1674)

The Samaritan, c. 1650

Oil on canvas

H. 114.5 cm x L. 113 cm

Musée des Beaux Arts de Caen - Ville de Caen

The painter represents here an episode from the Gospel of Saint John (IV, 25-27). While resting near a well, Jesus asks a woman of Samaria to drink, who is discredited because of her way of life. She is surprised because Jews and Samaritans do not see each other. An interview follows during which Christ reveals to his interlocutor that he is the messiah. This passage symbolizes the power of the grace of God, an essential theme for the Abbey of Port-Royal, a Mecca of Jansenism whose supporters consider that man can do nothing without this grace. The canvas also corresponds to the injunctions of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) concerning the role of religious painting: the scene must be readable and easily recognizable.

La Samaritaine is part of a set of three paintings made for the high altar of the convent of Port-Royal, in Paris. During the Revolution, the work was deposited at the Petits-Augustins, before being delivered, in 1794, to the Museum Central des Arts. Finally attributed to the museum of Caen, it was sent there in 1804.

Champaigne approached the Jansenists when he entrusted the education of his daughters to the nuns of Port-Royal. More on this painting

It was only after he received news of Duchesne's death that he returned to marry his daughter. After the death of Duchesne, Champaigne worked for the Queen Mother, Marie de Medicis, for whom he participated in the decoration of the Luxembourg Palace. He made several paintings for the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, dating from 1638. He also drew several cartoons for tapestries. He was made first painter of the Queen with a pension of 1200 pounds. He also decorated the Carmelite Church of Faubourg Saint-Jacques, one of the favorite churches of the Queen Mother.

Philippe de Champaigne (French, Brussels 1602–1674 Paris)

Translation of the bodies of Saint Gervais and Saint Protaiso, c. 1661

Oil on canvas

Height: 3.63 m; Width: 6.81 m

The Louvre

Gervasius and Protasius were the twin sons of martyrs. Their father, Saint Vitalis of Milan, a man of consular dignity, suffered martyrdom at Ravenna, possibly under Nero. Their mother, Saint Valeria, died for her faith at Milan. Gervasius and Protasius were imprisoned, and visited in prison by Saint Nazarius.

Saint Ambrose, in 386, had built a magnificent basilica at Milan, now called the Basilica Sant'Ambrogio. Asked by the people to consecrate it in the same solemn manner as was done in Rome, he promised to do so if he could obtain the necessary relics. 

In a dream, he was shown the place where such relics could be found (See below). He ordered excavations to be made outside the city, in the cemetery Church of Saints Nabor and Felix, and there found the relics of Saints Gervasius and Protasius. 

St Ambrose had their relics removed to the Basilica of Fausta (now the Church of Saints Vitalis and Agricola), and on the next day into his basilica. More on Gervasius and Protasius

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674)

Appearance of Saint Gervais and Saint Protais to Saint Ambrose, c. 1658

Oil on canvas

Height: 3.6 m; Width: 6.78 m

The Louvre

The Carmelite Church was destroyed during the French Revolution, but there are several paintings now preserved in museums, that were part of the original design. The Presentation in the Temple is in Dijon, the Resurrection of Lazarus is in Grenoble and the Assumption of the Virgin is in the Louvre.

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674)

Richelieu's Immortal Glory, c. around 1635

Oil on canvas

Height: 0.5 m; Width: 0.53 m

The Louvre

He also worked for Cardinal Richelieu, for whom he decorated the Palais Cardinal, the dome of the Sorbonne and other buildings. Champaigne was the only artist who was allowed to paint Richelieu enrobed as a cardinal, which he did eleven times. He was a founding member of the Académie de peinture et de sculpture in 1648. Later in his life (from 1640 onwards), he came under the influence of Jansenism. After his paralysed daughter was allegedly miraculously cured at the nunnery of Port-Royal, he painted the celebrated but atypical picture Ex-Voto de 1662, now in the Louvre, which represents the artist's daughter with Mother-Superior Agnès Arnauld (See below).

Philippe de Champaigne (French, Brussels 1602–1674 Paris)

Ex-voto, c. 1662

Mother Catherine-Agnès Arnauld (1593-1671) and sister Catherine de Sainte Suzanne Champaigne (1636-1686), daughter of the artist

Oil on canvas

Height: 1.65 m; Width: 2.29 m

The Louvre

Ex-voto; the miraculous healing of Sainte-Suzanne, daughter of Philippe de Champaigne himself, lying on a bed, accompanied by Mother Agnès praying beside her. Touched by this miraculous healing, Philippe de Champaigne immortalized this moment, portraying the two sisters during this divine intervention symbolized by the presence of the light ray. More on this painting

Attributed to Philippe de Champaigne, BRUSSELS 1602 - 1674 PARIS

Portrait of mother Agnes and sister Angélique from the abbey of Port Royal des Champs

Oil on canvas

81 x 102.5 cm; 32 by 40 1/3 in

The Louvre

The painting is bathed in a mystical atmosphere of deep recollection. It presents a composition set in a sober interior that opens onto a landscape offering a view of the Abbey of Port-Royal des Champs.

The painting depicts Mother Catherine Agnès de Saint-Paul known as Agnès Arnauld as a pious and devout woman, deeply inspired and focused by the prayer she addresses to the Lord (she adopts the same posture as that of the Ex-Voto ). Next to her, the portrait of Mother Angélique, adopting the same pose as in her portrait by Philippe de  realized by Champaigne (See below). More on this painting

Attributed to Philippe de Champaigne, BRUSSELS 1602 - 1674 PARIS

Mother Angélique Arnauld, Abbess of Port-Royal

Oil on canvas

130х98

The Louvre

Philippe de Champaigne

Study after Mother Angélique Arnauld, Abbess of Port Royal

Louvre Museum

Champaigne produced a very large number of paintings, mainly religious works and portraits. Influenced by Rubens at the beginning of his career, his style later became more austere. Philippe de Champaigne remains an exceptional painter thanks to the brilliance of the colors in his paintings and the stern strength of his compositions.

Attributed to Philippe de Champaigne and Studio

Louis XIII crowned with Victory, Siege of La Rochelle, c. 1628

Oil on canvas

Height: 2.285 m; Width: 1.75 m; 

The Louvre

This painting depicts Louis XIII standing in full armor on a terrace, his hand resting on a plumed helmet.  

Louis XIII ruled as King of France from 1610-1643.  His mother was Marie de’Medici who acted as regent during his minority.  In 1615 he married Anne of Austria, daughter of Philip III of Spain.  Louis relied heavily on his chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, giving him enormous power and influence in governing the country.  He was succeeded by his son, Louis XIV. More on this painting

Philippe de Champaigne

The Vow of Louis XIII previously known as Notre-Dame de Pitié, c. 1638

Oil on canvas

H. 342 cm x L. 267.5 cm

Musée des Beaux Arts de Caen - Ville de Caen

Commissioned by Louis XIII to adorn the high altar of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, this painting commemorates the wish made by the king in 1637, published on February 10, 1638 in order to put France, then invaded by Spanish troops, under the protection of the Virgin. Philippe de Champaigne scrupulously follows the iconography defined by the sovereign. He demonstrates his mastery of the art of portraiture, while excelling in the register of still life (symbols of the Passion at the feet of Christ). More on this painting

Champaigne portrayed the entire French court, the French high nobility, royalty, high members of the church and the state, parliamentarians and architects, and other notable people. His portrait of the poet Vincent Voiture was created around 1649 as the frontispiece for Voiture's published Works. The portrait is highly unusual in that Champaigne later reworked it as a portrait of a religious figure, Saint Louis (King Louis IX), to enable Voiture's daughter to keep it with her when she entered a convent. In depicting their faces, he refused to show a transitory expression, instead capturing the psychological essence of the person.

Philippe de Champaigne

The Penitent Magdalen

Oil on canvas

116 x 87 cm

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

A sinner, perhaps a courtesan, Mary Magdalen was a witness of Christ who renounced the pleasures of the flesh for a life of penance and contemplation. Penitent Magdalene or Penitent Magdalen refers to a post-biblical period in the life of Mary Magdalene, according to medieval legend. 

According to the tenets of the 17th–century Catholic church, Mary Magdalene was an example of the repentant sinner and consequently a symbol of the Sacrament of Penance. According to legend, Mary led a dissolute life until her sister Martha persuaded her to listen to Jesus Christ. She became one of Christ's most devoted followers and he absolved her of her former sins. More on The Penitent Magdalen

The painting was probably executed for the convent of the Dames du Saint-Sacrament in the Marais, Paris.

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674)

The Assumption, c. between 1625 - 1650

Oil on canvas

Height: 3.94 m; Width: 2.43 m

Louvre Museum

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven. When Jesus died on the cross, he gave his mother to his apostle John. That means that he wanted Mary to treat John as her son, and John to treat Mary as his mother and take care of her. Mary moved into John's home, where he said Mass each day. So Mary was close to her Son in the Blessed Sacrament, even though He had ascended into Heaven. 

 

Mary's love for God and Jesus grew even stronger than it had been when Jesus had been present on earth. She grew more holy every day. People came to visit her, she was kind and patient with everyone. Saint Luke (who wrote the Gospel of Saint Luke) painted a picture of her during this time. The portrait of 'Our Lady of Perpetual Help" which was painted centuries later, used Saint Luke's portrait as a model of what Mary looked like. 

 

Finally when she was very old, it was time for Mary to die. She had enough time to say goodbye to all the apostles before she died. The grieving apostles took her body to a tomb near the one that Jesus was laid in. They covered her with a white shroud and laid her to rest in the tomb. 

 

But Mary's body didn't stay there. Jesus came to her and took her body and soul into heaven to be with Him. Mary was the Immaculate Conception - the only person except Jesus who had been born without the stain of Original Sin,the disobedience of Adam and Eve. God and Jesus would not let the body of the Mother of God decay. This was her reward for her love of God and her years of faithful prayers and suffering. More on the Assumption of Mary into Heaven

Painted for the church of the Carmelite convent in the Faubourg Saint-Jacques. Seized during the Revolution, deposit of the Petits-Augustin then transferred to the Museum in 1792, granted to Notre-Dame de Paris in 1811. Gift of the chapter of Notre-Dame de Paris, 1862. More on this painting

His works can be seen in public buildings, private collections, churches such as Val-de-Grâce, Sorbonne, Saint Severin, Saint-Merri, Saint-Médard and in the Basilica of Notre-Dame du Port in Clermont-Ferrand.

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674)

The Échevins of the City of Paris, c. 1648

Oil on canvas

200 x 271 cm

Musée du Louvre, Paris

On three occasions Champaigne was commissioned to paint the official portrait group of the mayor and aldermen of the city of Paris. One of these groups, for the year 1648, exists in the Louvre. The artist here had to follow a rigidly established formula. The individual heads are painted with great naturalism, but the figures kneel in hieratic poses on either side of a small altar, supporting a crucifix, on the base of which is the figure of St Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. The severity and rigidity of the design are in keeping with the dignity of those who ruled over the city at this time, who took their duties seriously and proudly maintained the independence of their municipality. More on this painting

Champaigne was prominent enough in his time as to be mentioned in Cyrano de Bergerac in a line by Ragueneau referencing Cyrano: "Truly, I should not look to find his portrait By the grave hand of Philippe de Champagne."

Philippe de Champaigne (French, Brussels 1602–1674 Paris)

The Annunciation, ca. 1644

 Oil on oak

27 1/4 x 27 3/4 in. (69.2 x 70.5 cm)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Annunciation referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God, marking his Incarnation. Gabriel told Mary to name her son Yehoshua , meaning "YHWH is salvation".

 

According to Luke 1:26, the Annunciation occurred "in the sixth month" of Elizabeth's pregnancy. Many Christians observe this event with the Feast of the Annunciation on 25 March, an approximation of the northern vernal equinox nine full months before Christmas, the ceremonial birthday of Jesus. In England, this came to be known as Lady Day. It marked the new year until 1752. The 2nd-century writer Irenaeus of Lyon regarded the conception of Jesus as 25 March coinciding with the Passion. More The Annunciation

Philippe de Champaigne’s paintings have been described as combining “a scrupulous perfectionism verging on coldness with an inner life of deep intensity.” A key protagonist of French classicism, his work was partially motivated by an association with Jansenism, the severe Counter-Reformation movement that was eventually suppressed by Louis XIV. This painting was one of several by the leading artists of the day executed in Paris for the small private chapel of Queen Anne of Austria (1601–1666), the widowed wife of Louis XIII. More on this painting

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674), After

The Meal with Simon the Pharisee, circa 1656

Oil on canvas

Height: 2.92 m; Width: 3.99 m

Louvre Museum

Simon was a Pharisee mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 7:36-50) as the host of a meal, who invited Jesus to eat in his house but failed to show him the usual marks of hospitality offered to visitors - a greeting kiss, water to wash his feet, or oil for his head .

During the meal, a tearful woman identified as a sinner anointed Jesus' feet. He contrasted her faith and care with Simon's failure to show common decency, and accused him of being forgiven little and (in consequence) loving little. More on Simon the Pharisee

Champaigne, Philippe de (Brussels, 1602 - Paris, 1674),

The Supper at Emmaus

Oil on canvas

217 x 226 cm

Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent

Emmaus is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke as the village where Jesus appeared to his disciples after his crucifixion and resurrection. Luke 24:13-35 indicates that Jesus appears after his resurrection to two disciples who are walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus, which is described as being 60 stadia (10.4 to 12 km depending on what definition of stadion is used) from Jerusalem. One of the disciples is named Cleopas. More on Emmaus

His pupils were his nephew Jean Baptiste de Champaigne, William Faithorne, Jean Morin, and Nicolas de Plattemontagne. During his last period Champaigne painted mainly religious subjects and family members. He died in Paris in 1674. More on Philippe de Champaigne

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