Circle Of Van De Kasteele, Frans. “virgin With Angels...oil On Copper.

Circle of VAN DE KASTEELE, Frans (Brussels, circa 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 format, its subject and the fact that it is an oil on copper. For this reason, it was probably designed for a private altar or chapel. Mary appears in a rotating, dynamic and typically Baroque position, and shows one hand stretched 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, a balanced, symmetrical and ordered composition typical of classical Baroque. This is the representation of Saint James the Greater, Saint John, Saint Francis and Saint Maurice, from left to right. 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, the cruciform banner and his Gospel in his hand. 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 his stigmata and carrying a wooden crucifix. Finally, at his side, we see Saint Maurice, dressed in a breastplate and cloak, carrying the palm of martyrdom. 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