GIOVACCHINO BELLI - ACT. 1788-1822

GIOVACCHINO BELLI - ACT. 1788-1822, Cross-reliquary of Santo Lenho with Pietà, cross in gilt bronze and black patina, metal applications, 889/1000 silver halo and friezes en relief depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ, Rome (1815-1822), missing the lower part of the spear, missing the relic and the glass that would cover its receptacle, minor faults to the gilt, other minor defects, mark of the Reverend Apostolic Chamber Nº 168 (pontifical tiara and crossed keys) for objects of medium size and with fine silver of 10 ounces and 16 coins (889/1000), in use between 1815 and 1870 (BULGARI 1958, BULGARI CALISSONI 1987 ), goldsmith's mark No. 242 (the initials G and B within a rhombus) by Giovacchino Belli (act. 1788-1822), without Portuguese marks pursuant to Decreto-Lei No. 120/2017, of 15 September, art. 2, no. 2, subparagraph c). Notes: It is a monumental staurotheca, a reliquary-cross of the Holy Cross, perfectly suited to the neoclassical taste that dominated the Roman panorama in the early years of the 18th century. Composed of a plinth, with a rectangular section, a base, with an oval section, on which the figure of the Pietà rests, the piece naturally gives prominence to the cross (in an obvious allusion to the provenance of the relic), which is also assumed to be the centre of the iconographic program, relating, as would be expected, to the Passion of Christ. This develops in a continuous narrative, in the band that runs through the oval section element, in the three medallions on the plinth (with an obvious classical appearance) and also in the three tondi visible at the top of the arms of the cross. The theme of Passion is further emphasized by the presence of the spear and the stick with the sponge soaked in vinegar, disposed in X. The Passion theme is further emphasized by the presence of the spear and the stick with the sponge soaked in vinegar, arranged in a quote. At the intersection of the two arms of the cross, the receptacle that originally contained the relic of Saint Lenho can be identified. At the base of the cross, where the skull usually appears, in reference to Mount Golgotha, where the Crucifixion of Christ took place, the three-dimensional presence of the Pietà, according to Michelangelo's sculptural model, invited the faithful, when venerating the relic, to reflect preferably on Piety, personified in the figure of the Virgin with her dead son in her arms. Giovacchino Belli was, since the last decade of the 18th century, the representative of a family that owned an important silversmith workshop operating in Rome since his father, Vicenzo Belli (1710-1777), from his native Turin, had established himself in the pontifical city. (c. 1741). In Rome, Vincenzo Belli was the patriarch of a family that counted successive generations of silversmiths, whose workshop remained in full operation during the 18th and 19th centuries. The son, Giovacchino (or Gioacchino, 1756-1822), author of this staurotheque, who submitted himself to the necessary exam with a view to confirming the paternal patent, succeeded in managing the workshop, which, at the time of Vincenzo's death, had approximately twenty workers. Giovacchino was succeeded by his son Pietro (1780-1828), and then by his grandchildren Vincenzo (activ. 1828-1859) and Antonio (activ. 1860-1867), ensuring continuous activity of the old family workshop until at least 1867 (BULGARI 1958, BULGARI CALISSONI 1987, VALE 2019) Among the Belli clientele are some of the most important families of the Roman aristocracy of the 17th and 18th centuries – as the Colonna, Barberini and Odescalchi – and naturally also numerous ecclesiastics, members of the Curia Pontifical. Among the Belli's illustrious clientele, it is worth mentioning the King of Portugal D. João V (1689-1750), for whom Vincenzo created a magnificent set of ewer and basin, in the context of the silver collection in the chapel of S. João Baptista (Museu de São Roque, Lisbon, inv. MPr27 and MPr28) (VALE 2016). The present reliquary of thee Holy Cross, integrating the figuration of the Pietà, is considered a work of particular interest, perfectly suited to the neoclassical taste of the time, but continuing the relevance of the sculptural component, which characterizes Roman silver from the 18th century. This is certainly not unrelated to the fact that its author was trained in an environment in which the importance of sculpture, within the scope of goldsmithing, was highly recognized. From a compositional point of view, the piece is constructed with the cross at its center, as occurs in this type of object, which particularly became widespread in Europe following the crusades and the consequent arrival of several relics of the Holy Cross. Some particularly exquisite examples date back to the early 1800s, made in the Roman environment, which clearly influenced this staurotheque, namely the cross-reliquary (dated 1803), coming from another important family workshop, then under the direction of Giuseppe Valadier ( 1762-1839), which is preserved in the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome. Teresa Leonor Vale Lisboa, 21-11-2024 BIBLIOGRAFIA BULGARI 1958 BULGARI, Costantino - Argentieri, Gemmari e Orafi d’Italia. Vol. I, Roma: Lorenzo del Turco, 1958 BULGARI CALISSONI 1987 BULGARI CALISSONI, Anna - Argentieri, Gemmari e Orafi di Roma. Roma: Fratelli Palombi Editori, 1987 VALE 2016 VALE, Teresa Leonor M. - Ourivesaria Barroca Italiana em Portugal: presença e influência. Lisboa: Scribe, 2016, pp. 157-158, 611 VALE 2019 VALE, Teresa Leonor M. - “Vincenzo Belli (1710-1787): percurso de um ourives: um turinês em Roma que trabalhou para Lisboa”, in MOTA, Isabel Ferreira da, SPANTIGATI, Carla Enrica (coord.) - “Tanto Ella Assume Novitate al Fianco”. Lisboa, Turim e o intercâmbio cultural do século das luzes à Europa pós-napoleónica. Coimbra: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, 2019, pp. 189-221. Cabral Moncada Leilões would like to thank Doctor Teresa Leonor Vale for studying the work and preparing this text., Dim. - (total) 69,5 cm