1742
oil
canvas
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Saint Andrew is a 1742 oil by Pompeo Batoni, a Baroque work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
You see a somber Saint Andrew carrying his X-shaped cross. He looks calm, but his face shows sadness. The story behind this painting is that Saint Andrew asked to be crucified like Christ, which is a pretty intense request. The artist likely chose this story to show the saint's devotion. It's also interesting that this is one of a series of religious paintings commissioned by a dedicated patron. You can learn more about this style by looking into the technique of chiaroscuro.
One of a series of religious paintings commissioned by Pompeo Batoni’s most dedicated patron, Count Cesare Merenda of Forlì, this painting depicts Andrew the Apostle carrying his distinctive X-shaped cross. As the story goes, Saint Andrew welcomed death by crucifixion because it brought him closer to Christ, calling out in his final moments, “Oh Cross, I have desired to embrace you.” Capturing the emotional drama of this moment, Batoni painted the saint with a somber expression, tenderly and affectionately clutching his instrument of torture.
Merenda family, Forlì, and thence by descent; with M. & C. Sestieri, Rome, by 1959; sold to the Art Institute, 1960.
The Art Institute of Chicago, The Art of the Edge: European Frames 1300 – 1900, 1986, no. 23.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter who displayed a solid technical knowledge in his portrait work and in his numerous allegorical and mythological pictures.
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