Christ Ministered by Angels

Domenico Fetti

date:
measurements: výška 63.0 cm, šírka 77.5 cm
work type: maliarstvomaľba tabuľová
object type: panel painting
genre: landscape
material: wood
technique: oil
inscription:
institution: Slovenská národná galéria, SNG
curator: Zuzana Ludiková
inventory number: O 3005
tags: kristus anjel
in collections:
licence: Creative Commons License public domain
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After being baptized, Jesus went to the desert to fast for forty days; during this time he was tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, to jump from the Temple in Jerusalem and to accept his offer of the wealth of the world. After being rejected for the third time, the devil left and angels came to attend to him.

Traditionally, Jesus with angels attending to him (diakonein) are depicted in the center of the painting with others angels coming from above. The devil’s first request to change stones into bread is in the background to the left and the Temple in Jerusalem is to the right. The central part of the plot is symmetrically laid out in the front and separated from the earlier scenes by a huge tree. 
 
Fetti found success with small paintings with religious themes and portraits which he adapted to requested genre scenes filled with small figures which allowed him to approach the work of Adam Elsheimer and preRembrandtists, Lastman (around 1583–1633), Pynas (1583/1584–1631), Tengnagel (1584–1635). The visible brush strokes, which he did not adapt to the format of the paintings, are typical in comparison with heterogeneous workshop paintings. Fetti’s father, brother and sister were also painters.

Zuzana Ludiková ● LUDIKOVÁ, Zuzana - BURAN, Dušan. Talianska maľba = Italian Painting. Bratislava : Slovenská národná galéria, 2013. 242 strán. ISBN 9788080591748.