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483 - DOMENICO GARGIULO, known as MICCO SPADARO (Naples, 1609 – 16…
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Estimate €120,000 - €150,000
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Description
DOMENICO GARGIULO, known as MICCO SPADARO (Naples, 1609 – 1675) – The Beheading of Saint Januarius at Solfatara Oil on canvas. Dimensions: 105 x 130 cm. Domenico Gargiulo, known as Micco Spadaro, was one of the leading visual chroniclers of 17th-century Naples and one of the most prominent figures in Neapolitan Baroque painting. Specialising in historical and religious scenes, as well as contemporary events, he developed a highly personal style characterised by expansive compositions filled with numerous figures, a remarkable narrative sense, and a particular attention to landscape. This work depicts the beheading of Saint Januarius, patron saint of Naples, which, according to tradition, took place in 305 AD at the Solfatara near Pozzuoli during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. The scene depicts the culminating moment of the martyrdom, rendered through a complex choral composition in which soldiers, executioners, the faithful and onlookers are distributed across a wide, open landscape that allows the artist to fully demonstrate his narrative skill. The staggered arrangement of the figures, the spatial depth achieved by opening the landscape towards the horizon, and the prominence given to the scenery are characteristic elements of Micco Spadaro’s work. This painting bears a close resemblance to the celebrated *Beheading of Saint Januarius at Solfatara*, held in the Achille della Ragione collection in Naples, which is considered one of the artist’s most outstanding interpretations of this episode. Both compositions share the same organisation of the scene, the presence of numerous figures distributed across different planes, and the emphasis on making the landscape an essential element of the narrative. The agile brushwork, the variety of the figures’ poses, and the combination of religious drama with an almost documentary depiction of the event fully reflect the qualities that made Gargiulo one of the most original painters of the Neapolitan Baroque. Provenance: Important ...
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About the sale GRAND SUMMER AUCTION OF HAUTE ÉPOQUE AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 4:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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