Details

Title

St. Nicolas of Bari Felling a Tree Inhabited by Demons

Artist/Maker

Paolo de Matteis (Italian, 1662–1728)

Date

ca. 1727

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

34 1/2 x 54 5/8 inches

Credit

Purchase with Fay and Barrett Howell Fund

Accession #

1982.21

On View

Currently not on view

Paolo de Matteis developed a style that combined elements of the exuberant Neapolitan Baroque with the classicism he had learned in Rome. He was known for the virtuosity of his paint handling and had important patrons all over Europe. In this work, he depicts Saint Nicholas, one of the most popular saints in Europe, miraculously driving out the terrorizing demons from a sacred tree to make the land safe again for its inhabitants.

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