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

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

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01 Work, Interpretation of the bible, Gustave Vanaise's Magdalene in Christ's tomb, with Footnotes #184

Gustave Vanaise, Ghent 1854 - 1902 Saint-Gilles

Magdalene in Christ's tomb, c. 1880

Oil on canvas

130,5 x 201 cm ; 51⅜ by 79⅛ in.

Private collection

Sold for 10,080 EUR in June 2022

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. An earthquake occurred and an angel dressed in white descended from Heaven and rolled aside the stone as the women were watching.

Vanaise moved to Paris in August 1878. He spent two years there and painted his first large history paintings, which he began to exhibit at the Salon. Among these is this impressive Mary Magdalene at Christ’s Tomb, painted in 1880 in the French capital, as noted by the artist. More on this painting

Gustave Vanaise was a Belgian painter born in Ghent on October 24 , 1854 and died at Saint-Gilles on July 20 , 1902.

Gustave Vanaise painted historical and religious subjects, intimate scenes and is also a portraitist . He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent in the studio of Théodore Canneel , then in Brussels . He travels to Italy and Spain. He was part of an enthusiastic group of artists and sculptors from Saint-Gilles (Brussels) led by Jef Lambeaux , where he rubbed shoulders with Karl, son of Constantin Meunier , Jules Lagae and Dario de Regoyos . In 1883, he was one of the founding members of the Brussels avant -garde group " Les Vingt ". He resigned in 1886. More on Gustave Vanaise

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

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01 Work, Interpretations of Olympian deities, William-Adolphe Bouguereau's Bacchant, with footnotes #37

William-Adolphe Bouguereau  (1825–1905)

Detail; Bacchante lutinant une chèvre/  Bacchant, c. 1862

Oil on canvas

height: 115 cm (45.2 in); width: 185 cm (72.8 in)

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux

William-Adolphe Bouguereau  (1825–1905)

Bacchante lutinant une chèvre/  Bacchant, c. 1862

Oil on canvas

height: 115 cm (45.2 in); width: 185 cm (72.8 in)

Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux

In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of the Thiasus, the god's retinue. Their name literally translates as "raving ones." Maenads were known as Bassarids, Bacchae or Bacchantes in Roman mythology, after the penchant of the equivalent Roman god, Bacchus, to wear a bassaris or fox-skin.

Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by Dionysus into a state of ecstatic frenzy through a combination of dancing and intoxication. During these rites, the maenads would dress in fawn skins and carry a thyrsus, a long stick wrapped in ivy or vine leaves and tipped with a pine cone. They would weave ivy-wreaths around their heads or wear a bull helmet in honor of their god, and often handle or wear snakes. More Bacchante

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (November 30, 1825 – August 19, 1905) was a French academic painter and traditionalist. In his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body. During his life he enjoyed significant popularity in France and the United States, was given numerous official honors, and received top prices for his work. As the quintessential salon painter of his generation, he was reviled by the Impressionist avant-garde. By the early twentieth century, Bouguereau and his art fell out of favor with the public, due in part to changing tastes. In the 1980s, a revival of interest in figure painting led to a rediscovery of Bouguereau and his work. Throughout the course of his life, Bouguereau executed 822 known finished paintings, although the whereabouts of many are still unknown. More William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.