Antonio Canova try 'to buy it and no luck willing to give ten years of his life "in order to be the author of such a masterpiece!"
The Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino is truly admirable work, little known, but is fully part of the greatest masterpieces world of sculpture.
Created in 1753 by Giuseppe Sanmartino (Naples 1720-1793), on the patronage of Prince Raimondo di Sangro di San Severo, a noble Neapolitan, but also an alchemist, inventor and scientist (but also a Mason!), Gave rise to many over the centuries discussions on its implementation.
fact the work, they say, was built behind the Prince dictates very specific and seems to have been used traditional methods of sculpture.
surprising sophistication of execution, which to tell the truth, he sees himself in other works of Sanmartino, it 'before it' following the Veiled Christ.
sculptor Giuseppe Sanmartino was so sublime, but could no longer match the excellence of this work ....
At this point the assumptions on Prince alchemist taking hold, and some scholars speculate that they have been adopted in the chemical and physical processes drugs at the time.
indeed look closely at the sculpture, one has the impression that the film surrounds a statue carved already, and not be part of it. But as we have been able to make a thin layer of marble?
Aficionados say the Prince, thanks to some documents found in the home of San Severo, that the veils were obtained by crystallizing a basic solution of calcium hydroxide or slaked lime. Steps would be this: the statue was placed in a tank and covered with a wet veil, was paid on these lime milk diluted and the liquid was poured carbon monoxide from a charcoal oven. This would ensure the precipitation of calcium carbonate and marble that would complement the statue. But this has never been proven. ... What is certain is that the Prince on December 16, 1752 he signed a receipt for the Sanmartino, preserved in the Historical Archive of the Banco di Napoli, where we read: ".. And I said the pay fifty ducats to the Magnificent Giuseppe Sanmartino account of the statue of Our Lord died veiled even marble .. ". All
scenic setting of the chapel is a clear reference to Masonic symbolism, a company which Prince belonged and of which he was Grand Master. The statue of Christ is located at the center of the Underground Chamber, a sort of crypt, illuminated by "eternal lamp" invented by Raimondo di Sangro and studying this type of lighting, the sculptor praised the folds of the veil that covers the figure of Christ dead to accentuate the drama. Originally, in fact, the Cave was to be accessible by the vestry (and not from the nave of the church) and had to be the "cave" that would contain the Masonic Christ who died, yes, but a symbol of the Resurrection, as the reborn to new life "brother" new aggregate to the lodge.
But look carefully at the work in detail: the block of marble is unique, Christ's body is lying on a mattress with his head tilted slightly to one side, is supported by two pillows, face and body are enveloped by a veil that adheres perfectly to the shape of the face and body lifeless of the Redeemer in a cascade of pleats and is so light and seemingly imbued with the sweat of death that seems to stick to the body showing the smallest details, such as contracture of the face disfigured by suffering, torn limbs, the belly cavity of malnourished The wound in the side and tear of the hands and feet. On the side of the feet, put on the veil are the tools of torture: the crown of thorns, nails and pliers, one of which "pinches" il tessuto con straordinaria plasticità e realismo.
La visita a quest’opera non lascia indifferenti neanche i più disinteressati all’arte, è qualcosa che colpisce allo stomaco in maniera indelebile, si resta affascinati e contemporaneamente spaventati da tanta sublime perfezione e non possiamo che ringraziare il Principe per averci lasciato tanta bellezza.
Se volete ammirare questo capolavoro lo trovate a Napoli nella Cappella dei Principi di Sangro di Sansevero a Santa Maria della Pietà, o “Pietatella”, in via Francesco De Sanctis.