CORTONA, Pietro da
(b. 1596, Cortona, d. 1669, Roma)

Vision of St Filippo Neri

1664-65
Fresco
Santa Maria in Vallicella, Rome

This work depicts a dream of St Filippo Neri in which the Virgin appeared to him, commanding that he shore up the roof of the chapel housing a devotional image of her venerated by the Oratorians. Warned by his dream, the next day Neri had the rotting wood roof removed, thereby preventing its collapse as shown here. Dominating the composition is the towering architecture, seen from an extremely low angle, which functions as both framing and setting.

From this point on, dramatic action taking place in earthly settings became admissible subject matter for ceiling pictures in churches even in Rome.




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