Circle Of Van De Kasteele, Frans “virgin With Angels And Saints.” Oil On Copper. Ebony Frame

Circle of VAN DE KASTEELE, Frans (Brussels, around 1541 - Italy, 1621). "Virgin with Angels and Saints. Oil on copper. Frame in curled ebony.
This painting is of a devotional nature, judging by its small size, its subject and the fact that it is an oil on copper. For this reason, it was probably conceived for a private altar or chapel. It has a large central break in the Glory, delimited by clusters of clouds between which appear cherub heads, with the figure of the Virgin Mary in the center, carried by child angels. She is dressed in a deep pink tunic, a purple dress of which only the sleeves are visible, a blue mantle (symbol of truth and eternity) and a white veil on her head, alluding to the concept of purity. Mary appears in a rotating, dynamic and typically Baroque position, and shows one hand extended towards the ground, another on her chest and her head slightly turned, her eyes directed towards the sky. At her feet, four figures in a landscape closed on both sides and open in depth in the center (a city can be seen in the distance, shrouded in mist and blue), a balanced, symmetrical and ordered composition typical of classical Baroque. It is the representation of Saint James the Greater, Saint John, Saint Francis and Saint Maurice, from left to right. They are all represented in large format, with particular attention paid to their anatomies and their clothing, worked in chiaroscuro folds typically Baroque. Saint James wears a cloak decorated with a scallop shell on his shoulder, a pilgrim's staff and a hat. Saint John wears the sheepskin typical of his iconography, a red cloak evoking his passion, and holds in his hand the cruciform banner and his Gospel. At his feet, the lamb that usually accompanies him in plastic representations, symbol of Christ and his sacrifice. On the right side we see Saint Francis in a brown habit tied with the Franciscan cord, looking at Mary and crossing his hands on his chest, showing her stigmata and carrying a wooden crucifix. Finally, at his side we see Saint Maurice, dressed in a breastplate and mantle, carrying the palm of martyrdom. The blue and pink tones of his garment are in keeping with the colours of the Virgin's clothes, as is the purple mantle of Saint James, a resource with which the painter balances the composition by unifying the two planes and establishing a typically classical, balanced and symmetrical pyramidal structure.
Due to its formal characteristics, this work can be traced back to the influence of Frans Van de Kasteele, known as Francesco da Castello, a Flemish painter who settled in Rome during the pontificate of Gregory XIII (1572-85). He is documented as a member of the Academy of St. Luke in 1577, and was appointed consul in 1588. To date, nothing is known of his training in the Netherlands or of his early works. In a private collection in Vienna there is a miniature on parchment signed by the artist and dated 1584, an adoration of the Magi. There is also a contract from 1588 in which he was commissioned to make six paintings on canvas and five miniatures on copper on religious themes. Although based in Rome, Kasteele always maintained relations with the Netherlands, notably with the humanists Philips van Winghe, Abraham Ortelius and Henricus Corvinus. In Rome he was respected and recognized, a member of the Pantheon of the Academy of Virtuosi and that of St. Luke. Although he also worked as an easel painter, he was mainly the author of small-format works, illuminations and miniatures. Many of his works were sent to Spain, which explains why he had many followers in our country. -
Dimensions: 33x3x40 cm. int. 24x32 cm