Page 44 - Luca Giordano - Liberation of St Peter
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Fig. 7. LUCA GIORDANO, The Holy Family with St. John, Madrid, Prado Fig. 8. LUCA GIORDANO, The Holy Family with St. John, Madrid, Prado
Museum. Museum.
San Ildefonso, La Granja, [Fig. 7]). The choice of a Raphaelesque composition indicates that he knew Raphael
roundel, the frontal, harmonious grouping, the triangular by heart.The head of theVirgin is one of the most exquis-
scheme of the three main figures, the typical early six- ite images inspired by Raphael painted by anyone. To
teenth century style of depicting draperies sculpted on complete this fine group of early Raphaelesque painting
bodies and the fine halos are all pure Raphael.That Giordano we must include The Holy Family with St. John, also in the
took inspiration from different works known to him, but Prado Madrid [Fig. 8], which is identical in style to The
only in a very generalised way,32 while painting a truly Baptism, with its sharp blue, dense shadows and landscape
sketched in warm colours.33
32. A. Úbeda de los Cobos, Luca Giordano y el Casón del Buen Retiro,
Madrid 2008, p. 172 has tried to trace the sources of Giordano’s The problems of chronology mentioned above for
paintings in the manner of Raphael. some of the other neo-Renaissance works also applies to
these paintings, which are very often dated later than they
33. Another painting in the style of Raphael, unknown to me, is listed should be, probably because of their high quality. The
in O. Ferrari, G. Scavizzi, Luca Giordano 1992, quoted above (n. roundel is dated generally around 1660, and the Baptism
A145). as late as 1680.34 But these paintings should not be taken
out of context. Their simplicity and purity of line and
34. The Baptism of Christ has been dated around 1680 by O. Ferrari: O. colour are the same in all the other works of this group.
Ferrari, G. Scavizzi, Luca Giordano, 2003, quoted above, p. 61. Giordano would later abandon this purity of line and sim-
plicity. The literal translation from Raphael’s work sug-
35. Two Prado paintings carry the initials of Raphael (Holy Family, gests an early date; and deceptive efforts (the false
P168) and the initials of Raphael and Giordano combined (Holy signature on The Baptism) can only be attributed to a very
Family, P170). young painter.35 De Vito, noticing a similarity between
The Baptism in Naples, dated 1655 and the picture in
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