Maurilio Lovatti
Holy Family by Giacomo Zoboli in the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Rome
(1748)
Giacomo Zoboli, Holy Family in the basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Rome (1748)
The painting,
sometimes also referred to as Rest on the Flight into Egypt, is
housed in the second chapel on the right, dedicated to Saint Joseph, in
the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare, in the Rione Ponte district of
Rome.
The basilica, originally built at the end of the 7th century, was demolished in
1742 and rebuilt on the initiative of Pope Benedict XIV, to a design by Ferdinando
Fuga (1699-1782), architect of the Sacred Palaces. On April 21, 1748,
the new church was consecrated by the Pope himself.
In the same year, 1748, the altarpiece (oil on canvas; 310 x 190 cm) of the chapel of San Giuseppe was painted in Palazzo Farnese by Giacomo Zoboli. Giacomo Zoboli (Modena 1681 - Rome 1767) lived and worked in Palazzo Farnese from 1738 to 1760, then owned by the Bourbons of Naples: the privilege had been granted to him by the King of Naples, Charles of Bourbon, at the request of Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini (1685-1770), nephew of Pope Clement XII. Zoboli had become famous starting in 1729, when he painted Saint Jerome Listening to the Trumpet of the Last Judgement, in the Basilica of Sant'Eustachio in Rome, greatly appreciated by his contemporaries. The numerous commissions the Modena-born painter received in Rome between 1727 and 1748 were mainly due to Cardinal Neri Corsini himself. The Holy Family was also commissioned by Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini and was paid for 300 silver pontifical scudi.
As part of the extensive restoration of the basilica's interior since 2008, the Zoboli altarpiece has also been restored. This included cleaning, removal of dust, grease, dirt, fumes, varnishes, fixatives, and oil-based repainting. The cleaning was completed by removing particularly compact and adherent residues with a scalpel. Small abrasions and gaps throughout the paint layer were repaired; a final protective varnish was applied to the entire surface.
In the work, the baby Jesus is held by Joseph and not by the Virgin, as was traditional in paintings of the time, and this is explained by the fact that it was painted specifically for the chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph. Joseph observes the scene with a gaze filled with tenderness.
The face of Saint Joseph appears similar to that of Saint Peter in Zoboli's painting for the Duomo Nuovo in Brescia (1733-35). The angels, which are typical of the painter, take their inspiration from both Maratta and Correggio for their naturalness and affection. The painting is particularly influenced by Maratta's style. The angelic figures, wearing crowns, at the top of the altarpiece recall those in the Martyrdom of Saint Eleutherius (1738) in the church of San Giovanni della Pigna, also in Rome. The particularly lively chromatic range is now visible in all its splendor thanks to the aforementioned restoration. Some similarities can also be found with Ludovico Carracci's Assumption, now in the Galleria Estense in Modena, in which the composition of the scene is very close to the altarpiece in the Brescia Cathedral. Further influences of Maratta's style can be seen in the canvas, particularly when compared with the Immaculate Conception in Santa Maria del Popolo.
Self-portrait by Giacomo Zoboli (Museo civico di Modena)
Painting by Giacomo Zoboli in Rome, Modena, Brescia end in other locations (in italian)
Giacomo Zoboli and Cardinal Querini: Rome and Brescia in XVIII Century
Documents about death an burial of Giacomo Zoboli
Saint Philip Neri kneeling before the Virgin Mary (1745) by Giacomo Zoboli in the church of Santa Maria della Pace in Brescia
- Giacomo Zoboli (1681-1767) Treccani -Dizionario biografico degli italiani (in italian)
- Giacomo Zoboli (1681-1767) Wikipedia