Lot 218: The Apotheosis of a Hero: a modello for a ceiling decoration

Giacinto Diano (Pozzuoli 1731-1804 Naples)
The Apotheosis of a Hero: a modello for a ceiling decoration
oil on canvas, shaped
37 5/8 x 58½ in. (95.5 x 148.6 cm.)

Giacinto Diano was first recorded in 1752, when he entered the workshop of the highly acclaimed Neapolitan painter Francesco de Mura (1696-1782). Thereafter, Diano was strongly influenced by de Mura's compositions and his use of colour. This can be seen most clearly in Diano's early compositions for the apse and vault of San Pietro Martire, Naples, in his pictures of St. Catherine of Siena Predicting the Return of the Holy See to Rome , The Triumph of the Doctrine of St. Thomas Aquinas and The Miraculous Image of St. Dominic at Soriano , painted around 1758-1759. Although other influences encroached on Diano's painting style after he left de Mura's studio, particularly the art of the Roman painters Pompeo Batoni and Luigi Vanvitelli, his art always remained essentially a Neapolitan interpretation of Roman classicism, particularly in his use of luscious colours and the grandeur that his compositions took on.

In 1773, he gained the position of professor at the Accademia del Disegno in Naples. Even after gaining this prestigious position Diano managed to maintain the prolific output he was renowned for and Professor Nicola Spinosa explains that 'Diano's academicism was maintained at such a high level that it found few rivals'. Of particular note in the later years of Diano's career, were the decoration of several rooms in the Palazzo Serra di Cassano in Naples (1773), frescoes in the sacristy of Sant'Agostino della Zecca (1776), paintings in the tribunal of the church of the Trinità dei Pellegrini (1778), paintings for the Congrega dei Banchi in San Potito frescoes in the Palazzo Cellamare (early 1780s), the entire decorative program at the Cathedral of Lanciano (1785-1790), and the ceiling of Sant'Andrea delle Dame, Naples (1792).

Professor Nicola Spinosa confirmed the attribution to Giacinto Diano and identifed the painting as a preparatory sketch for the ceiling of the Palazzo Cellamare in Naples, the then residence of the Michele Imperiale, Prince of Francavilla (private communication with the vendor). The present picture can therefore be dated to the early 1780s when Diano was at the height of his fame and artistic powers. There are other known prepartory sketches for the ceiling that bear resemblance to the present picture, most notably one in monochrome, Apotheosis of a Prince (also called Apotheosis of a Victorious Commander ) from the Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart. The compositional resemblance with this picture is striking, extending even to the arrangement of the figures in the spandrels. The other sketches include two in the Pisani collection, Naples, which are limited to some of the peripheral figures; a polychrome bozzetto , IAllegory of a Prince received to Mount Olympus in the Acton Collection, Naples; and Allegory in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Brest, also in monochrome. The present painting is larger than these other two compositions and depicts the elevation of an armed figure, a prince or a field commander, to Olympus--where he is received by Jupiter and the other gods.

The work that Diano carried out at the Palazzo Cellamare was amongst the greatest work of his life and it is historically important in showing the transition from Neapolitan rococo to classicism. Professor Spinosa has noted that, 'with their warm, golden colours fading into delicate pastels and enriched with touches of clear and shimmering light, these works are all of an extraordinary beauty. Elegant figures of saints and Madonnas, courtesans and heroes of antiquity exist in an atmosphere of grace and refinement recalling the arcadian scenes celebrated in the paintings of de Mura and dramas of Metastasio. The frequent allusions in these works to Raphael, Veronese, Reni and Maratta place Diano firmly within a classical and academic lineage'.