The Martyrdom of Saint Gennaro
Mattia Preti·c. 1685
Historical Context
Mattia Preti's Martyrdom of Saint Gennaro, painted around 1685, depicts the execution of the patron saint of Naples by the Roman emperor Diocletian in 305 AD. Preti painted this work during his decades on Malta, but Saint Gennaro was primarily a Neapolitan devotion — his liquefied blood was (and still is) displayed three times annually in Naples Cathedral. The painting demonstrates Preti's continued engagement with Italian religious subjects even from his Maltese exile.
Technical Analysis
Preti's oil-on-canvas technique creates a dramatic martyrdom scene with the strong chiaroscuro and powerful figure drawing of the Caravaggist tradition. The executioner's muscular form and the saint's resignation are rendered with the bold, expressive brushwork characteristic of Preti's mature Baroque style.
Provenance
Principi di Fondi, Naples. Principessa Pignatelli della Leonessa; acquired 1937 by private collection, Europe; (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 11 July 1980, no. 46, as _The Martyrdom of Saint Januarius_); private collection, England;[1] purchased 22 June 2000 through (Gurr-Johns, London) by NGA. [1] Provenance as provided by Gurr-Johns, and as recorded in the 1980 sale catalogue, where the painting is described as "The property of a European princely house."
