BORTOLONI, Mattia
(b. 1696, Canda, d. 1750, Milano)

Judgment of Solomon

1717-18
Fresco
Villa Cornaro, Piombino Dese

The frescoes in the Villa Cornaro are Bortolini's first known works. The works on the first floor focus on episodes from the Old Testament, while those on the upper floor are derived from the New Testament. On the first floor, the small rooms to the left of the main hall are dedicated to the narration of the stories of Moses and King Solomon, while those to the right are reserved for episodes relating to Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. The images are extremely simplified in the presentation of the subject matter.

The Judgment of Solomon occurs within the royal palace, where only the protagonists in the event are depicted - the king seated on his throne, the two mothers, the executioner who has been called in to cut the contested newborn in half, while the other baby lies abandoned on the ground. There is no trace of the numerous and varied personalities who traditionally witness the scene in similar representation.




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