Apparition of Virgin Mary and Child

In this work which is characteristic of his opus, Luca Giordano seeks expression and movement. The subject is the saint or the martyr to whom the Madonna appears, from her place in heaven with Baby Jesus in her lap, and this subject is enriched by a swirl of characters, probably soldiers and judges called to torment her, who perform a kind of circular movement of surprise, giving tone and vibration to the whole composition. The rest contains a happiness typical of Giordano and his exquisite talent with color. At first a student of José de Ribera in Naples, he then went on a series of journeys to perfect his technique, especially by spending time in Venice. Indeed, Luca Giordano retains the Venetian brilliance and ability to describe, with a few brushstrokes, figures in various attitudes. Yet he retains the solidity he has learned from the old masters, which he was able to demonstrate by becoming a famous painter and frescoing numerous churches and palaces throughout the peninsula and in Spain, from Florence to Castellamare, from the Escorial Monastery in Naples.