Saints in Glory

Solimena's Saints in Glory is a ceiling or altar painting depicting multiple holy figures gathered in celestial space, a format he handled with great accomplishment throughout his long career. Such multi-figure heavenly compositions were the speciality of the great Neapolitan decorative tradition running from Luca Giordano through Solimena. The work demonstrates his mature command of the foreshortened figure arrangements required for illusionistic ceiling painting.

Figures are grouped in ascending clusters against luminous sky, their poses calculated for legibility from below. Solimena's characteristic confident draughtsmanship gives each saint a distinct pose and expression despite the complex grouping. The cool blues and warm golds of his mature palette create the airy luminosity associated with his late style.