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Red Carpet for Sassoferrato

Who knows what the great biographer Giorgio Vasari would have written about the art of Giovan Battista Salvi (1609 – 1685), called Sassoferrato. The question arises by visiting the exhibition at the Tesori d’Arte Gallery, inside the medieval Abbey of St. Peter in Perugia: Sassoferrato. From Louvre to St. Peter. The reunited collection. open until October 1st, 2017.

An interesting itinerary allows the visitor to discover the painter’s skills, acquired through the example of previuos artists, without omitting epithets and depictions that critics gave to him.
Probably Vasari would have defined him a good academic painter, or perhaps he’d have remarked a lack of creativity. Without any doubt today is taking place an important revaluation of the artist: another exhibition dedicated to his grafic skills have been set up in Sassoferato, the discrict where the painter was born.
Thanks to the collaboration between public institutions and private collectors, the exhibition in Perugia combines pieces coming from italian and international loans: as the title underlines, the biggest thanks goes to the french museum for the temporary concession of the Immaculate Conception, painted originally for the Benedectine Abbey of Saint Peter.

Sassoferrato, Saint Apollonia

The itinerary guides the visitors by partition walls and changing direction corners, while the intense red color of the panels confers a solemn and celebratory atmosphere. Paintings are under spotlights. Watching at the long corridor expository walls, you will understand how the lesson of XV and XVI Centuries predecessors is the foundation for Salvi’s compositions and contents. Some great masters works had flanked Sassoferrato’s paintings, following one another in constant comparison. Often accused by the critic to be only a formal copier, «Sassoferrato doesn’t believe in the evolution of art»: those are the words of Vittorio Sgarbi, one of the exhibit curators.[1]

 

In Sassoferrato’s art the inspiration from popular models contributes to the definition of a personal artistic growth and style.
His reactionary attitude takes him close to the formal purity of Perugino’s style: Giovan Battista Salvi elaborated, since the beginning of his career, a plain tone, a pious and devonational reverence, easy to find in saints’ figures.
Young ladies with fine oval visages embody deferential saints, fixed by the painter in static poses: their simple and academic lineaments, soft shapes and firm gazes, contribute to a contemplative and prayerful appearence.
Among the various paintings of saints realized by Sassoferrato there are two representations of Saint Apollonia. The saint holds in the hand the pincers with the extracted tooth, symbol of her martyrium, in the same position painted already by Timoteo Viti, in his XV century version of the subject. Sassoferato represents Saint Apollonia with a kind of mute and still expression, as he would remind us the sad fate she encountered.

Tintoretto, The Penitent Magdalene

A beautiful piece representing The penitent Magdalene is borrowed from the Musei Capitolini, painted in 1598 by Domenico Robusti, son of Jacopo Robusti called Tintoretto. The enchanting young woman shines with brilliant light touches: glints on her amber curly hair unveil the powerful Venetian treatment of light, as appears also from the fascinating contrast between the moonlight on the background and the divine ray beautifying the sensuous Redeemed.
In his own depiction of the saint, Giovan Battista Salvi recalls the formal composition of Domenico Tintoretto, avoiding however that languorous and romantic tone, in favor of a misurated and quite manner.

Above: Sassoferrato, Hope with two Angels. Below: Faith with two Angels

Continuing on the path, the eye is captured by three big canvas, decreasing in sizes, all copies of The Deposition by Raphael: the third one is realized by our painter. Hanging up on the red wall, the same scene is repeated in slow motion, as one would stand at the mirror of time, watching the art remembering herself.
The exercise of copyng by Raphael is not ended: the vibrant colours of the Deposition are softened then by two little paintings represented the Hope and the Faith with two little angels, taken from the same altarpiece commissioned to Raphael by Baglioni family of Perugia.
Traditionalist and academic, Sassoferrato realized different versions of the Madonna del Giglio, displaying his adherence to XIV century language.
An intimate sweetness characterizes his candied virgins, sometimes portrayed in contained ecstasy, some others praying silently. Always the same graceful features, distant in space and time.
The culmination of those features takes form in the celestial representation of the Immaculate Conception: the Virgin in glory sourrended by smiling cherubs, floats on a cloud, ending the itineray through the art of Sassoferrrato.

 

The exhibition releases the artist, contextualizing his style in a continuum of meaningful comparisons.
It is dedicated to those people who want to immerse themeselves in a silent and reflexing atmosphere, discovering the treasures exposed at the Gallery. Visiting the exhibition with an attitude of formal observance and quitness, as Sassoferrato’s characters, will pay the best tribute to the artist.

Sassoferrato, Immacoulate Conception

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[1] http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/sassoferrato-ovvero-larte-essere-noioso-e-sublime-1379228.html

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Giulia Ciacci

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