Pair of architectural capriccios with mythological scenes, oil on canvas, Bolognese painter active in the 18th century

Pair of architectural capriccios with mythological scenes, oil on canvas, Bolognese painter active in the 18th century Measurements: cm 164 x 164 cm x D 5 cm; canvases 148 x 148 Price: confidential negotiation Object accompanied by a certificate of authenticity The two large and valuable canvases depict two architectural capriccios, with glimpses of colonnades and arcaded buildings in classical style, animated by figures. The compositions are characterized by the complexity typical of Baroque painting combined with the harmony with which the painter introduces the lavish architectural monuments and the use of perspective. A color scheme based on shades of brown and ochre that stand out against the blue sky dominates. The inclusion of figures to liven up the architectural views is also in balance with the whole, bringing movement and color, with touches of red and yellow. The architectural capriccio, an artistic genre that made its way into Italian painting from the 17th century, is characterized by the representation of fantastic architectures or perspective inventions, sometimes combined with elements freely taken from reality. The two canvases are an explanatory example of this type and have a notable artistic interest. Inside these invented palaces are set two scenes taken from Roman mythology or, more probably, from the Aeneid. Their depiction is not of simple and immediate understanding. The canvas on the left shows, high up, seated on light and soft clouds, the Greek goddess Juno (Hera in Greek mythology) accompanied by her symbolic animal, the peacock. Juno points to a rainbow under which, in flight, is depicted the messenger Iris. A winged mythical figure, daughter of Thaumas and Electra, messenger of the gods, in particular of Juno, Iris was already identified by the ancients with the rainbow. Appearances of the goddess as a messenger in epic poems are frequent. In the Aeneid she appears at the end of Book IV when, commissioned by Juno, she hovers over the head of the dying Dido and, cutting off a lock of her hair in an act of mercy, ends the agony of the queen who had a relationship with Aeneas. Again in Book V she carries out a mission, again for Juno: she takes on the guise of the elderly Beroe and convinces the Trojan women to set fire to the ships to remain in Sicily. Again at the beginning of Book IX of the Aeneid she is sent, again by Juno, to warn Turnus that Aeneas has left the field to meet Evander and that it is, therefore, the most propitious moment to attack the Trojans. In the painting presented here on the left, the reading of the scene is even more complex. A male figure descends from the sky on a carpet of vaporous clouds. The armor he wears, the fluttering red cloak, and the power and austerity with which he presents himself suggest identification with a god. He appears to a king, as he wears a golden crown, who bows before him with the utmost respect. All around, several other figures watch the scene surprised and curious. It could refer again to what Virgil writes in the Aeneid. The news of the love that blossomed between Aeneas and Dido has spread. Jupiter orders Mercury, the messenger of the gods, to descend to Carthage to convince Aeneas to leave the queen and resume his interrupted journey. However, the god depicted here with armor and spear lacks those iconographic references characteristic of Mercury and therefore could also be identified with the Greek god Mars (Ares in Greek mythology). The remarkable pictorial quality emerges both from the overall composition and from the way in which the artist describes the views with great attention to detail, highlights and the refined, perfectly realistic chiaroscuro. Stylistically, the author of the paintings should be placed among the quadrature masters active in the first half of the 18th century in Bologna. The references to the majestic and scenographic architectures designed by the Galli da Bibbiena, a family of artists active in the artistic field for over 150 years first locally and then on a European scale, are evident. Specifically, strong similarities can be seen with the works of Ferdinando Maria Galli, known as Ferdinando Galli da Bibbiena (Bologna, 1657 - 1743). There were numerous artists who followed the production of the Galli da Bibbiena and among these Vittorio Maria Bigari (Bologna, 1692 - 1776) came to produce works very close stylistically to the two paintings in question. Majestic and decorative, the square-shaped canvases present the architectural capriccios inside a circle bordered by an ochre fillet that simulates a frame. A scenographic ploy much loved during the Baroque era which gives the whole greater lightness and facilitates its inclusion in a picture gallery. The works are presented inside carved wooden molding frames. Historical and artistic studies are currently underway.