Galerie Dreyfus
63
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GIROLAMO MOCETTO (MURANO, c. 1458 – VENICE, c. 1531)
See original version (French)
63
-
GIROLAMO MOCETTO (MURANO, c. 1458 – VENICE, c. 1531)
See original version (French)
Estimate €90,000 - €112,000
Voluntary lot
Description
GIROLAMO MOCETTO
(MURANO, c. 1458 – VENICE, c. 1531)
Biblical scene depicting the war between the Israelites and the Amalekites
Circa 1490
Oil on panel
113 x 110 cm
In the midst of a military camp, horses and soldiers are busy preparing
for an imminent battle. Some horsemen are mounting their horses, whilst others are already leaving
the scene. In the background, beyond the colourful tent canopies, a squad is galloping
away. Demonstrating a genuine concern to render this space with perspective, the painter has layered his planes
in depth. In the foreground, he has thus created a triangular composition involving three horses in
varying positions that complement one another. On the left, the horse is depicted from the rear, in foreshortening, whilst
in the centre, a second horse is shown in three-quarter profile; finally, on the right, a third horse moves
in profile, emerging from the frame of the composition. These same figures of horsemen – one
charging the horse in the centre and the other two flanking the horse on the left – are also found
in Mocetto’s engraving, held at the Albertina in Vienna. Entitled ‘The Israelites and the
Amalekites after the Battle, this engraving allows us to identify this scene from the Old
Testament, even though the moment of the battle appears to be different. According to the biblical account, the
Amalekites, an ancient Semitic tribe, inhabited the region of Canaan. Their confrontation
with the Israelites is recounted in the Book of Exodus, chapter 17. After leaving Egypt
under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites were attacked by the Amalekites whilst they
were travelling through the Sinai Desert. Moses ordered Joshua to choose some men to
fight them, whilst he himself, Aaron and Hur climbed a hill overlooking
the battlefield. Moses raised his hands towards the sky in prayer, and as long as he kept his hands
raised, the Israelites were victorious. When he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained
the upper hand. Aaron and Hur then supported Moses’s arms until the Israelites
secured victory.
Girolamo Mocetto (c. 1458–c. 1531) was an Italian Renaissance painter. Originally from
Venice, he was, according to some sources, a pupil of Alvise Vivarini (1446–1502), and later of Giovanni Bel-
lini (1430–1516), whilst in the art of engraving, he followed in the footsteps of Andrea Mantegna (1431–
1506). Whilst his works show less interest in antiquity than those of Mantegna, he favours
a simpler, more narrative style, characterised by figures depicted in
dynamic poses and set apart in space, as seen here in his horsemen, in the spirit of Vittore Car-
paccio (1465–1525). These details bring him closer to the Veronese school of his time, the city where he
worked, notably alongside the artist Domenico Morone (1442–1518). His adaptation to Bellini’s
methods probably came about through the works circulated in the Veneto region by
the master himself, as well as by Cima da Conegliano (1459–1517) and Bartolomeo Montagna (1450–
1523). The high point of his career was the execution of part of the painted stained-glass window
in the right transept of the Dominican church of San Giovanni e Paolo, which he signed on the
left panel of the lower register.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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