Esther And Assuero - Oil On Canvas 2nd Half Of The 17th Century. Sandblasted And Gilded Frame

Oil painting on canvas depicting a scene from the book of Esther, a text contained in the Christian Old Testament and especially in the Jewish Bible, which celebrates the event with the feast of Purim.

It is possible to attribute the painting to the Calabrian painter Francesco Cozza (Stilo, 1605 – Rome, 13 January 1682) or to some talented student very close to his pictorial style. In fact, the skillful use of chiaroscuro, the natural perspective and the chromaticity of the colors seem to bring us back to his wonderful works.

The canvas has recently been cleaned and restored and is therefore in perfect condition; the same goes for its contemporary frame, sandblasted and gilded.

Francesco Cozza (Stilo, 1605 – Rome, 13 January 1682)

After spending his youth in his native Calabria, Francesco Cozza went to Rome where he was an apprentice to Domenichino. His presence is in fact recorded in Rome at the parish of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte, a guest of the Minims of San Francesco di Paola, shortly before 1630, the year in which Domenichino went to Naples. He remained a guest of the Minims until 1634; during this period he followed Domenichino to Naples and Frascati. He remained in Rome and in the surroundings of Rome for the remaining years of his life. His death occurred on January 13, 1682. He was a follower of Lanfranco and Mattia Preti in a more mature phase.

Description of the representation:

Esther, the young Jewish wife of King Ahasuerus, who presents herself to him to implore mercy for her people and faints out of fear. The identity of the queen and King Ahasuerus is illustrated, with didactic clarity, by their crowns.

The scene is completed on the left by the maids supporting the queen and on the right by two male figures: the elderly man with a beard and uncovered head is Mordecai, the relative who adopts Esther upon the death of her parents and who encourages her marriage to the king, advising her to keep her religious identity hidden until the right time.

While the man next to King Ahasuerus and with his head covered by a peach-colored cloak can be identified as Aman, the prime minister who had ordered the extermination of the Jews and who, as a result of Esther's expressed wish to Ahasuerus to save the Jewish people, will be hanged by order of the King.

The painter's interest in scenographic compositions and the studied characterization of the figures immediately emerge. In this work, the figure of Esther is subjected to a certain luminosity that gives her greater prominence compared to the other characters that populate the scene.

Interesting is the drama that the painter intends to give to the scene through the expressions and movements of the characters, for example: the representation of the effort of the handmaid on the right to support Esther who was losing consciousness and the instinctive movement of King Ahasuerus who rises from the throne to offer her his golden scepter, a symbol of compliance with all the desires of the beloved woman.

We enclose a guarantee of authenticity from our antiques gallery with the sale of the painting.

The dimensions of the canvas are 133 x 100, while those including its golden and sandblasted Roman frame, contemporary with the painting, are 160 x 123.

The painting has recently been cleaned and relined by a trusted restorer.

We enclose a guarantee of authenticity

The painting is visible in our antiques gallery in Foligno (PG), in the heart of Umbria. Come visit us!

We are ready to welcome you to our 180 m2 exhibition space which boasts an incredible assortment of furniture, paintings and vintage and original objects ranging from the 15th to the 19th century.

If you are looking for furniture for renovations of premises, apartments, hotels, farmhouses, we are available to show you our large warehouses where you can find every type of antique furniture and satisfy every type of search.

Our experience in the sector allows us to guide you in your furniture choices, when you have the will and the taste to opt for antique and original furniture for your spaces, perhaps in cohesion with more modern elements of the house.

GALLERIA ANTIQUARIA BOMPADRE

FOLIGNO (PG), PIAZZA ETTORE GIACOMINI, 42.

Info: Tel./What's app - 00393208015489 - Mail: Galleriabompadre@proton.me

OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 09 TO 13.00 AND FROM 16 TO 19 (Telephone appointment recommended, especially Saturday and Sunday).