New Narrow Gallery
The New Narrow Gallery in Palazzo Avogadro displayed around 20 paintings, making it much smaller than the grand Great Hall. This gallery was much more modest, as it contained fewer paintings, and its subject matter was more specific to Cardinal del Monte’s political-religious world [1]. Displayed on the walls were portraits of saints, such as Saint Catherine, as well as portraits of the blessed whose causes were examined by the Congregation of Rites with the participation of Cardinal del Monte [2]. Del Monte showcased his piety, honoring his favorite saints, particularly Saint Catherine, who he revered as his patron saint [3]. Alongside these demonstrations of his religious fervor, del Monte displayed portraits of the blessed who commemorated his own impact on Roman religious history and served as a tribute to the memory of his political endeavors.
The following two portraits done by Caravaggio and Guido Reni were not housed in the New Narrow Gallery, but elsewhere in the palace. However, they still exemplify the kinds of religious portraiture that would have adorned the walls of the aforementioned gallery. The exact paintings hung in the New Narrow Gallery have, unfortunately, been lost. The examples below demonstrate artists and imagery that Cardinal del Monte routinely favored and that would exhbited similarly in the New Narrow Gallery.
Caravaggio, Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine was a saint of great importance to Cardinal del Monte. As mentioned above, he revered her as his patron saint. Saint Catherine is the saint of "filosofi", for seekers of knowledge, which aptly reflects how Cardinal del Monte thought of himself as well as how he hoped to be perceived, as an erudite individual [4]. Del monte had five different paintings of Saint Catherine, which were all done by the hand of named, recognizable artists. This was not the case for other paintings of saints in his collection, and Cardinal del Monte paid special attention to the display and framing of the portraits of Saint Catherine [5]. In the 1627 inventory, there are references to paintings of Saint Catherine executed by Caravaggio, Annibale Carracci, and Guido Reni, among others [6].
This rendition of Saint Catherine done by Caravaggio highlights his talents with chiaroscuro and the natural form and expression of Saint Catherine, modeled after a celebrated courtesan of the time [7]. The saint is depicted here surrounded by symbols of her martyrdom, including the breaking-wheel and the martyr's palm. The sword she holds in her hands is the weapon used to behead her.
Guido Reni, Saint Sebastian
Guido Reni had painted several versions of Saint Sebastian. This rendition, currently displayed in the Musei Capitolini in Rome, shows the artist’s ability to synthesize classical and Baroque imagery. Saint Sebastian’s body is depicted fluidly, as if he is twisting. His delicately sculpted form evidently recalls classical statuary, as does the white cloth draped over his lower half. The dramatic lighting, on the other hand, ground this piece within the Baroque. The dark background is speckled with ominous storm clouds and anonymous figures trudging through the dark landscape. In the foreground, Saint Sebastian gazes up, beyond the limits of the canvas, intimating that there exists something that viewers are unable to see. He is brightly lit and centered in the composition.
Reni’s painting of Saint Sebastian shows his skilled naturalism, which Cardinal del Monte has repeatedly shown interest in, and his ability to represent tropes from the Classical and Baroque eras. Cardinal del Monte would have been interested in this piece for its religious imagery, as well as its blending of styles that show that he is a patron who is versed in the historical evolution of painting and appreciative of a wide swath of high art.
[1] Christoph Luitpold Frommel, “Caravaggios Frühwerk und der Kardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte,” Storia dell’arte 9, (1971): 53.
[2] Zygmunt Wazbinski, Il Cardinale Francesco Maria del Monte 1549-1626. Edited by Leo S. Olschki. (Firenze: Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere, 1994), 313.
[3] Creighton Gilbert, Caravaggio and his Two Cardinals (University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995), 126.
[4] Creighton Gilbert, Caravaggio and his Two Cardinals (University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995), 127.
[5] Creighton Gilbert, Caravaggio and his Two Cardinals.
[6] Christoph Luitpold Frommel, “Caravaggios Frühwerk und der Kardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte,” Storia dell’arte 9, (1971): 54
[7] “Saint Catherine of Alexandria” Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, December 10th, 2021, https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/caravaggio-michelangelo-merisi/saint-catherine-alexandria.