Two studies of St Lawrence

Alessandro Maganza (1556–1630) was an Italian Mannerist painter, born and active in Vicenza and Venice.

He likely trained with his father, Giovanni Battista Maganza, also a painter, as well as by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo. He is said to have spent the years 1572–1576 in Venice. His first documented work, Virgin and Child with Four Evangelists (1580) was painted for the monastery built around the basilica and sanctuary of Monte Berico in Vicenza. Maganza frescoed the inner cupola of Andrea Palladio’s world-famous Villa Rotonda located near Vicenza, with allegorical figures in colour recalling Paolo Veronese; he also executed large ceiling canvases in tempera for the South and West rooms. His style is somewhat derivative of Palma Giovane, who is represented in Te Papa with his drawing <em>Standing male figure holding a cup </em>(1972-0021-6). Maganza had three sons who became painters: Giovanni Battista the younger, Marcantonio, and Girolamo.

A more modern attribution of these deft, rapid studies, made to another later Vicenza painter Francesco Mattei (1605-1660) can be discounted, according to Peter Tomory. This drawing is much more characteristic of Maganza, as a comparison with his <em>Study of a Carpenter </em>(Victoria & Albert Museum, London) demonstrates.

The subject matter of St Lawrence, a favourite one of artists of this period. Lawrence was a third-century Christian priest and martyr, who championed the cause of the poor. A famous legend has persisted from ancient times. As deacon in Rome, St Lawrence was responsible for the material goods of the Church and the distribution of alms to the poor. St Ambrose of Milan relates that when the treasures of the Church were demanded of St Lawrence by the Prefect of Rome, he brought forward the poor, to whom he had distributed the treasure as alms. "Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church's crown". The Prefect was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared with hot coals beneath it, and had Lawrence placed on it, hence St Lawrence's association with the gridiron, as depicted in both of Maganza's drawings.  After the martyr had suffered pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he cheerfully declared: "I'm well done. Turn me over!"From this derives his patronage of cooks, chefs, and comedians.

See:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Maganza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_of_Rome

Peter Tomory, <em>Old Master Drawings from the National Collection </em>(Wellington, 1983).

Dr Mark Stocker    Curator, Historical International Art                    March 2017