Who painted Der Heilige Rochus?

Der Heilige Rochus was painted by Francesco Gessi in 1634.

Where can I see Der Heilige Rochus?

Der Heilige Rochus is held by Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

What movement is Der Heilige Rochus?

Der Heilige Rochus is associated with Early Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Der Heilige Rochus

Francesco Gessi , 1634

Der Heilige Rochus is a paint painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Francesco Gessi. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

About this work

Overview

Francesco Gessi’s 1634 oil painting titled Der Heilige Rochus is part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. Executed in the early Baroque period, the work presents a solitary figure rendered in a modest palette, set against a modestly detailed landscape.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure is a bearded man with long hair, clothed in a dark cloak over a white shirt and short trousers. He holds a staff in his right hand, a traditional attribute of Saint Roch, a pilgrim saint associated with protection against plague. A small dog rests at his left foot, an emblem commonly linked to the saint’s legend.

Technique & Style

Gessi employs a restrained chiaroscuro, using contrasts of light and shadow to model the saint’s form and give depth to the surrounding foliage. The brushwork is smooth in the figure’s features, while the landscape background shows looser, more atmospheric strokes that suggest distant trees and buildings.

History & Provenance

Created in 1634, the painting entered the Gemäldegalerie’s holdings in the 20th century, though earlier ownership records are sparse. Its presence in a major German museum reflects the broader interest in Italian Baroque religious works collected by European institutions.

Context

During the 1630s, Gessi, a pupil of Guido Reni, produced several devotional images for churches and private patrons. Depictions of Saint Roch were particularly popular amid recurring plague outbreaks, serving both as intercessory icons and moral exemplars of piety and compassion.