Paolo de Matteis, St. Mary Magdalene in Glory

Sent by Anonymous the 04/12/10

In the first enquiry to Expert Opinion of Ars Magazine, we will analyze this delicate St. Mary Magdalene in Glory. Oil on copper, sized 22,7 x 16,7 cm, it belongs to a collection in Madrid.

The fist glance at the copper reveals its Italian origin. The sensual nude - more usual in this country of classical tradition where the mythological representations are more common - as well as the style of the painting point to this origin. Since, given its reduced size, it was conceived to be an image of private devotion, its location in Spain comes as no surprise. 

Representing a solitary figure with two cherubs, the piece does not provide much more information for research, which is why we will focus on the feminine figure. It obeys the typical baroque beauty canon, and since it is slightly more stylized, it may point to advanced Baroque. The serene posture of Magdalene, somewhere between a seated and reclined position, is a recurrent trait of paintings of the circle of Naples, from Luca Giordano (Naples 1634 – 1705) to Corrado Giaquinto (Molfetta, 1703 – Naples, 1766). Thus, elements of late baroque school from Naples created by Luca Giordano can be clearly observed. Yet, in general, everything is more refined and moderate, and this combined with more elegant aesthetics, perhaps points to its origin in the Roman classicism. 

All these features concentrate in Paolo de Matteis (Cilento, Naples, 1662 – Naples, 1728), Giordano’s disciple, who assimilated Classicism from Carlo Maratta (Camerano, 1625 – rome, 1713) during his stay in Rome. De Matteis was under protection of the great Spanish art patron Don Gaspar de Haro y Guzman, VII marquis of Carpio (Madrid, 1629 – Naples 1687) both while the latter was the ambassador in Rome, and later when he became the viceroy of Naples. This could explain why it is usual to find Paolo de Matteis’s work in Spain. 

After Giordano’s death, Matteis’s painting became lighter and more exquisite, departing from his master’s strong influence and relying more on his Roman experience. This would be the time when this work was completed, towards 1705 – 1715, before the incipient rococo movement. 

It is complicated to establish the value of the piece since there are no small size works by this painter on the market. Works of bigger dimensions and more complicated compositions are present and their price goes from 50.000 to 200.000 €. To sum up, the peculiar traits of this work are copper as the medium, reduced size to be admired privately, beautiful nude and exquisite quality. Its estimated price could be established between 15.000 and 20.000 €.