Artwork

Pope Gregory the Great and Saint Vitale Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory

Pope Gregory the Great and Saint Vitale Interceding for the Souls in Purgatory is an ink print by the Baroque artist Francesco Fontebasso. It dates from 1731 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:lower left in plate: Sebastiano Ricci pinxit; lower right in plate: Francis Fontebasso del. et inv.; lower center in plate: Molte Anime del Purgatorio portate dagli Angeli in Cielo per le pregiare di S. Gregorio I. Pontifice Romano.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1731, this black‑and‑white print presents a densely populated composition in which two robed figures kneel on a rocky ledge while ethereal masses of souls swirl above them. The scene conveys a sense of urgent movement, with sharp, layered lines that emphasize both the physical crowding on the ground and the tumultuous clouds of the afterlife.

Subject & Meaning

The work illustrates a theological narrative: Pope Gregory the Great and Saint Vitale are shown pleading on behalf of the departed souls trapped in purgatory.

The work illustrates a theological narrative: Pope Gregory the Great and Saint Vitale are shown pleading on behalf of the departed souls trapped in purgatory. The kneeling figures hold a book, symbolizing ecclesiastical authority, while the surrounding spirits alternately reach upward toward salvation or remain ensnared in suffering, underscoring the intercessory role of holy intercessors in Catholic belief.

Technique & Style

Executed as an etching on laid paper, the artist incised fine lines into a metal plate, allowing for crisp, overlapping strokes that generate texture and depth. The dense hatching and dynamic contours reflect the late‑Baroque sensibility of dramatic movement, while the overall elegance hints at the emerging Rococo taste for intricate, ornamental detail.

History & Provenance

The print is attributed to Francesco Fontebasso, a Venetian painter who trained under Sebastiano Ricci and absorbed influences from contemporary Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Though primarily known for his paintings, Fontebasso applied his compositional skill to printmaking in this period, producing the work as part of his broader religious output.

Context

Emerging in early 18th‑century Venice, the image aligns with the Counter‑Reformation emphasis on visualizing the afterlife and the power of saints to aid the faithful. By depicting papal and saintly intercession, the piece reinforces the Catholic doctrine of purgatory and the communal responsibility of prayer for the dead, themes common in devotional art of the era.