01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, Carlo Bononi's The Martyrdom of Saint Cristina, with Footnotes - #185

Carlo Bononi (1569?-1632)

The Martyrdom of Saint Cristina

Oil on panel wood

54 x 39 cm

Private collection

Estimated for  €9,000 EUR - €11,000 EUR in June 11, 2022

Saint Christina of Bolsena, also known as Christina of Tyre, or in the Eastern Orthodox Church as Christina the Great Martyr, is venerated as a Christian martyr of the 3rd century. Archaeological excavations of an underground cemetery constructed at her tomb have shown that she was venerated at Bolsena by the fourth century.

Christina is an early virgin Christian martyr. By the ninth century, an account of her martyrdom was composed, which developed many variants. According to these, she was born either in Tyre (Eastern stories) or in Persia (Western stories) during the 3rd century or 5th century.

She was born into a rich family, and her father was governor of Tyre. By the age of 11 the girl was exceptionally beautiful, and many wanted to marry her. Christina's father, however, envisioned that his daughter should become a pagan priestess. To this end he placed her in a special dwelling where he had set up many gold and silver idols, and he commanded his daughter to burn incense before them. Two servants attended Christina

According to accounts, one time Christina was visited by an angel, who instructed her in the true faith. The angel called her a bride of Christ and told her about her future suffering. Christina smashed all the idols in her room and threw them out the window. In visiting his daughter, Christina's father, Urbanus, asked her where all the idols had disappeared. Christina was silent. Then, having summoned the servants, Urbanus learned the truth from them.

Urbanus had his daughter tortured because of her faith, but God thwarted his efforts on several occasions. The nature of the torture varies with each telling, and can include iron hooks, grilling by fire, placement in a furnace, torture on the wheel, assault by snakes, assailment by arrows, and other assorted methods which she survives. After her father's death, his successor, Dion, continued to torture her. Christina is eventually beheaded. More on  Saint Cristina

In his works, Bononi incorporated sacred dialogues with the everyday; personifying saints, madonnas and executioners as real and concretely recognizable people.

The painting is a clear reference to the famous painting by Correggio “The martyrdom of the saints Placido, Flavia, Eutichio and Vittorino” (Parma, abbazia di San Giovanni Evangelista), especially as regards the figure of the saint. More on this painting

Carlo Bononi (1569? - 1632) was an Italian painter, active mainly in Emilia and Ferrara, and considered to be a painter of the School of Ferrara. He studied painting under Giuseppe Mazzuoli, known as il Bastarolo. He knew Guercino and was eulogized by Guido Reni as having a "bounty of a most honest life, a great knowledge of design, and strength in colorizing". Bononi rose to prominence in Ferrara when the painter Scarsellino died, and the former called to Rome. He was initially buried in Santa Maria in Vado, for which he had helped decorate the ceiling with various canvases.

Among his pupils were Alfonso Rivarola (il Chenda), Giovanni Battista dalla Torre, and Camillo Berlinghieri. His nephew, Leonello Bononi was also a painter. More on Carlo Bononi

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