ANDREA VACCARO
(Naples, 1604-1670)
The Martyrdom of St. Agatha
1635-1640
Oil on canvas – 48 x 62 9/16 in
The qualities that earned the artist his popularity are evident in this monogrammed Martyrdom of Saint Agatha, one of Andrea Vaccaro’s masterpieces. The Neapolitan painter often lent his figures a Classical serenity, inspired by the elegant detachment of Guido Reni. This canvas shows this influence in the representation of Agatha, allied with that of the darker, more naturalistic Caravaggesque approach adopted by many of his contemporaries (and visible here in the representation of Quintilian on the left, the executioner on the right and the soldiers in the background).
Acquired by the Musée Fabre, Montpellier (France)