Artwork
Die Fürbitte des Heiligen Gregor für die Seelen im Fegefeuer
Die Fürbitte des Heiligen Gregor für die Seelen im Fegefeuer is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Sebastiano Ricci. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Sebastiano Ricci’s 1730 oil painting, titled *Die Fürbitte des Heiligen Gregor für die Seelen im Fegefeuer*, presents a devotional tableau that combines celestial and terrestrial elements. Executed in the late Baroque period of Venetian art, the work now resides in Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie and reflects the transitional aesthetics of the Rococo movement.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child, encircled by cherubic figures, symbolizing heavenly intercession. Below, a congregation gathers around an altar, with Saint Gregory extending a gesture of prayer toward the souls in purgatory, underscoring the theme of intercessory advocacy for the departed.
Technique & Style
Ricci employs a muted palette of blues, reds, and golds, rendered with delicate chiaroscuro that models forms and creates spatial depth. The figures are clothed in flowing, richly detailed garments, while a darkened background recedes through a subtle gradient, enhancing the luminous quality characteristic of Ricci’s vigorous, Cortonesque approach.
History & Provenance
Created during Ricci’s mature phase, the painting aligns with his contemporaries such as Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, sharing a preference for dynamic composition and bright coloration. After remaining in private collections for several decades, the work entered the Gemäldegalerie Berlin’s holdings, where it continues to be displayed as part of the museum’s Baroque and Rococo holdings.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sebastiano Ricci (1 August 1659 – 15 May 1734) was an Italian Baroque painter of the late Baroque period in Venetian painting.
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