Saint Rosalie Interceding for the Plague-stricken of Palermo
Original title: Saint Rosalie Interceding for the Plague-stricken of Palermo
kurzbeschreibung
Anthony van Dyck painted this work in oil on canvas in 1624. It shows Saint Rosalia interceding for the inhabitants of Palermo stricken by the plague. Religious imagery and Baroque drama come together here.
Description
Saint Rosalia stands upright and dignified in dark robes, her head turned upward. Angels hover around her, some holding flowers, others caught in lively motion. In the foreground lies a skull, a reference to the plague, while clouds and blue sky fill the background. The tones remain mostly muted, with a few bright accents on the angels and the skull providing contrast.
Context
Van Dyck was working on this painting in Palermo in 1624, though he left the city for a time because of a plague epidemic. After her relics were found in 1624 and the end of the outbreak was attributed to her, Saint Rosalia came to be regarded as the patron saint of Palermo. The painting was probably intended for private devotion or for a chapel.
Impact
The strong contrast of light and dark and the upward-thrusting arrangement give the intercession scene a spiritual tension that draws the viewer in. A realistically rendered skull and idealized angel figures meet each other, producing a haunting yet hopeful mood.
Technique
Oil on canvas, as was usual in Baroque painting. Van Dyck used pronounced chiaroscuro to play light and shadow forcefully against each other, and fine brushstrokes that render textures and figures in detail.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)