Italian school, ca. 1700. Circle of Francesco SOLIMENA (1657-1747)
"Saint Nicholas of Tolentino.
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 65 x 52 cm; 95 x 82 cm (frame).
In this canvas we see Saint Nicholas of Tolentino in the foreground. The figure is worked with an enormous naturalism, emphasizing the wrinkles of the face and the expressiveness of the hands, and the tenebrist illumination used manages to give a greater physical presence, a greater three-dimensionality and also intensity and effectiveness to the figure.
Saint Nicholas of Tolentino (Italy, 1245-1305) was a priest, Catholic mystic and the first saint of the Order of Saint Augustine. He entered the Order of Augustinian Hermits in 1456, was ordained a priest in 1269, and then devoted his life to the apostolate in Tolentino, spending most of his time caring for the sick and the needy, as well as meditation and prayer, leading an ascetic life. He is considered the protector of the souls in Purgatory and intercessor for justice, motherhood, childhood and health. As for his iconography, this saint is usually depicted with a star shining on his chest, alluding to the legend according to which the saint went to church at night guided by a star. The star-studded habit is related to the number of souls in Purgatory that the saint freed with his fervent supplications and prayers.