Enrico Reffo (turin, 1831 – 1917) Sketch For An Altarpiece With The Sacred Heart Of Jesus

Enrico Reffo (Turin, 1831 – 1917)
Sketch for an altarpiece with the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Mixed media on paper, 28 × 19 cm

This sheet, executed in mixed media on paper, is a preparatory sketch for the altarpiece of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, painted by Enrico Reffo with only minimal differences and still preserved today in the Church of La Salute in Turin. Despite its small scale, the composition is already fully defined: the monumental figure of Christ on the throne, the rhythm of the draperies, and the angelic presence framing the central image.

Reffo combined a solid academic training, acquired between Turin and Rome, with a pictorial sensibility that at times reveals Pre-Raphaelite and early Liberty influences. He stands out as one of the rare and refined interpreters of religious painting in Italy at the end of the 19th century. His activity was closely tied to the major Turin and Piedmontese congregations, for which he produced altarpieces, frescoes, and decorative cycles.

Note on the artist
Enrico Reffo was one of the central figures of sacred painting in 19th-century Piedmont. In addition to the altarpiece of the Church of La Salute, he created important works for the Sanctuary of the Consolata, the Cathedral of Turin, the Church of San Massimo, the Gran Madre di Dio, and the Church of San Francesco di Sales. His altarpieces, large preparatory cartoons, and decorative cycles testify to his ability to unite academic rigor with spirituality, making him one of the last great protagonists of Italian religious painting.