Battistello Caracciolo's St. Onofrio will be restored thanks to collaboration with Civita

The National Galleries of Ancient Art in Rome will start in 2022 the restoration of the Sant’Onofrio by Battistello Caracciolo (Naples 1578 - 1635) kept in Palazzo Barberini, thanks to the proceeds obtained from the sale of Vino Civitas, which again this year renews the commitment of theCivita Association, in partnership with Tenuta Caparzo of Montalcino, in supporting the restoration of significant works in the museum, following the agreement signed in 2019 and valid until 2022.

With the sales of Vino Civitas, in the past two years it has been possible to restore the Madonna of Milk by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and begin work on an 18th-century console in the Corsini Gallery.

Battistello Caracciolo was one of Caravaggio’s earliest followers during his stay in Naples. The oil on canvas in the National Galleries of Ancient Art depicting Saint Onofrio is a work made in 1625: here the artist has staged the effects of the extreme asceticism of the saint, who took refuge for more than sixty years in the desert after repudiating his royal origins. The scene is made all the more stark by the dark background and the “Caravaggesque” light coming from the right rear, which highlights Onofrio’s physical fatigue as he leans on his staff and his emaciated and rehearsed figure, covered only by leaves and characterized by his long beard and white hair.

Restoration will allow a complete reading of the painting and its colors, while diagnostic investigations will provide a better understanding of Battistello’s technique and compositional procedure.

Image: Battistello Caracciolo, Saint Onofrio, detail (oil on canvas, 180 x 116 cm; Rome, National Galleries of Ancient Art)

Battistello Caracciolo's St. Onofrio will be restored thanks to collaboration with Civita

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