The Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine in the presence of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Flaminio ALLEGRINI
(1587 - 1663)

The Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine in the Presence of Saint Thomas Aquinas
circa 1610
Oil on copper

54.5 x 37 cm

Provenance: Former Maurice Fenaille collection, then by descent
Comparative bibliography: H. Röttgen, Il Cavaliere d'Arpino, 2002, p. 534

The closest collaborator of Giuseppe Cesari, known as the Cavalier d'Arpin, Flaminio Allegrini delivers here one of his best creations. This composition was already known from another version, also on copper, enriched by the presence of a vase of flowers, absent from our copy. The precision of the brushstrokes is made possible by the copper support, giving the painting a miniature-like finesse. The reverse bears a large inscription in pen: “Dionigio Calvart d° il Fiamingo”, attributing the work to the painter Denis Calvaert, born in Antwerp around 1540 and died in Bologna in 1619, known for the great refinement of his coppers and for having been the master of Guido Reni, Francesco Albani and the Dominiquin.