Artist: Attributed to Giuseppe Simonelli (Naples, 1650 – 1710)
Dimensions: Canvas only 213x114 cm; with frame 236x132 cm
Materials: Oil on canvas
An important, large-sized antique painting executed in oil on canvas, depicting the dramatic biblical episode of the Massacre of the Innocents. The work is distinguished by a dynamic and monumental composition, characterized by a strong sense of movement and a skilled use of chiaroscuro.
The scene is organized on multiple narrative registers: in the foreground, the tragedy unfolds with figures intertwined in plastic and agitated poses, while in the background, classical architectures and a leaden sky frame the event. The color palette, employing brown and earthy tones highlighted by sudden flashes of light, is typical of the great Baroque painting tradition.
The work is stylistically attributable to the hand of Giuseppe Simonelli, one of Luca Giordano's most gifted pupils. The pictorial execution and the anatomical rendering of the figures reflect the master's influence, while retaining that peculiar chromatic sensitivity that defines Simonelli's mature work in late 17th-century Naples.
The painting is presented within an imposing contemporary or in-style gilded frame, which enhances its decorative and institutional importance. The period of execution can be placed between the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
The object is in a good general state of conservation, with signs of age consistent with its period and the nature of the support.
