Paolo De Matteis

(Piano Vetrale, 1662 - Napoli, 1728)

Attributed to

Oil on canvas

cm. 63,5x76. Framed

Although today chiefly known and admired for his mythological production and, more generally, for his “history painting”, Paolo De Matteis also achieved excellent results in the field of devotional cabinet painting. An eloquent example is provided by the refined work presented here, characterised by a diffuse luminosity and centred upon the group of the Holy Family, with all the other figures arranged in a circular formation around it. The composition is lucidly constructed yet far from banal, with every figure captured in motion, each engaged in a clearly defined action. The rustic and domestic atmosphere, imbued with a sense of familial intimacy, perfectly conveys the spirit of the narrative from the Gospel of Luke (2:8–20). The brightness of the chromatic range, the graceful elegance of the composition, and the gently theatrical register informing the scene also recall the early production of Pietro Bardellino, the finest among De Matteis’s pupils.