Lot Essay
A study for one of the ceiling compartments in the Sala dei Foconi in the Vatican, Rome, painted by Nebbia in 1578-80, R. Eitel-Porter, op. cit., fig. 4. The fresco cycle on the life of Pope Gregory the Great was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII. The room derives its name from the foconi, the hearths used to warm the rooms.
The present drawing depicts an episode of the Saint's life as recounted in the Golden Legend: upon his election as Pope, Gregory fled Rome to resume his life of prayer and solitude. Helped by tradesmen, he hid in the forest for three days. Then a hermit noticed the column of light which marked the Saint's location and called Roman citizens to take him back to Rome.
The Alliance des Arts was a company based in Paris founded in 1842 to deal in pictures, books and works of art. Its experts, including Théodore Thoré, organized the sales of the Villenave, Soleinne and Delbecq collections.
The present drawing depicts an episode of the Saint's life as recounted in the Golden Legend: upon his election as Pope, Gregory fled Rome to resume his life of prayer and solitude. Helped by tradesmen, he hid in the forest for three days. Then a hermit noticed the column of light which marked the Saint's location and called Roman citizens to take him back to Rome.
The Alliance des Arts was a company based in Paris founded in 1842 to deal in pictures, books and works of art. Its experts, including Théodore Thoré, organized the sales of the Villenave, Soleinne and Delbecq collections.