The Miracle Of Saint Francis, Felice Cignani (bologna 1658 - Forlì 1724)

Felice Cignani (Bologna 1658 - Forlì 1724)
The Miracle of Saint Francis of Paola

Oil on canvas
165 x 111 cm
In frame 182 x 129 cm

Work accompanied by an appraisal by Prof. Emilio Negro

Full details of the painting (CLICK HERE)

The painting (oil on canvas, 166 x 114 cm) is well preserved and depicts Saint Francis of Paola miraculously healing a young girl brought before him by her parents, with her mother holding her sleeping little brother in her lap.

Originally from the Calabrian city from which he takes his name and who lived between the 15th and 16th centuries, Francis was a member of the Franciscan order, venerated for his healing powers, whose motto was “Caritas”, which we find here in the inscription visible on the altarpiece at the end of the staff.

He was an important religious figure whose fame spread beyond the borders of Italy to France: on the orders of Pope Sixtus IV, he travelled to France to the bedside of King Louis XI, and although he was unable to heal the ailing sovereign, he helped him to repent, to make amends for many abuses, and to settle outstanding issues with the Holy See.

From a stylistic point of view, as noted by Professor Emilio Negro in his study, we are in the presence of an interesting work by an artist active in Emilia between the 17th and 18th centuries, in whose style it is easy to recognise the influence of Carlo Cignani's pictorial corpus, and therefore to identify an artist in his workshop, in this case revealing a reinterpretation of the pictorial texts of Guercino and Annibale Carracci.

In view of these elements, it is likely that the work is by Felice Cignani (Bologna, 1658 - Forli, 1724), a painter of noble birth, as well as the son and pupil of Carlo. He became a highly regarded master in his own right, one of the last followers of his father's glorious workshop, where, as is well known, even the most demanding tasks were entrusted to the best disciples due to the numerous commissions. This gave the students the opportunity to collaborate to the best of their ability, learning the secrets of the profession directly from the head of the workshop.

The detail of the two figures in the background is beautiful, a mother with her child in her lap, which cannot fail to evoke the beautiful Madonnas with Child so dear to the Cignani workshop.

To confirm the attribution proposed here, it is sufficient to compare our St. Francis of Paola with other works by Felice Cignani executed during his final years in Forlì, such as St. Gertrude (Forlì, Church of St. Mercuriale, https://catalogo.cultura.gov.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0800033536 ); in the latter painting, as in ours, the warm, strongly contrasting luminosity typical of the Bolognese artist emerges. And then there is the altarpiece with St Thomas Aquinas (Pinacoteca Civica “Melozzo degli Ambrogi”, Forlì, https://bbcc.regione.emilia-romagna.it/pater/loadcard.do?id_card=57988&force=1 ) and Saint Philip Neri in Adoration (https://bbcc.regione.emilia-romagna.it/pater/loadcard.do?id_card=58614 )

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an attractive frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, using professional and insured carriers.

If you would like to see this or other works in person, we would be delighted to welcome you to our new gallery in Riva del Garda, at Viale Giuseppe Canella 18. We look forward to seeing you!

Please contact us for any information or to arrange a visit, we will be happy to assist you.

Follow us on:

https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it
https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/