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Italy, anonymous, early 17th century Saint Aloysius Gonzaga This painting, on the dividing line between Renaissance and the Baroque, depicts the saintly life of Saint Aloysius. Luigi Gonzaga was born in Lombardy in 1568 and as a young man he served at the court of Philip II in Spain. In 1583 he joined the Order of Jesuits. When the plague hit Rome eight years later, the Jesuits set up a special hospital. The brave and pious Luigi cared for the sufferers and soon became infected himself. He died soon afterwards, on his predicted date of death: 21 June 1591, the octave of Corpus Christi. In 1605 he was canonised by Pope Paul V, followed in 1726 by a sainthood by Benedictus XIII. | ||
AN 11 |
In the painting, his guardian angel brings him before Jesus cloaked in beautiful brocade. He offers Him his heart in exchange for the cross with lilies. Angels play an important role in this epic painting, just as they did in Luigi’s life. He wrote a treatise "Meditation about the Holy Angels in general and above all and more particularly the Guardian Angels ", which later became famous. The building in the background is thought to represent Castel Sant' Angelo, symbolising the role of the angels and referring to Luigi's tragic death. An earlier plague epidemic suddenly subsided when Pope Gregorius saw an angel sheathing his sword on top of Castel Sant' Angelo. |
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