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| San Gaetano in Art: | Click for: Statues & Other | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Especially in Italy in all the places San Gaetano passed through, one can find churches and museums containing pictures and statues of him. One can also find numerous pieces in private collections. The Theatines of his order promoted his fame and devotion in other countries after spreading all over Italy. After Italy, the Theatine order was called to Spain and from there, his fame took a leap across the ocean to the Americas. Traditional art in the 'New World' shows San Gaetano dressed in a simple priestly cassock or in a monk’s habit with a heart with wings on his chest. At times he is depicted with a book, a pen, a lily and a heart on fire; other times he is assisted by angels or cherubs; many times he has Baby Jesus in his arms. But the scene in which one can recognize him best is where we see him accepting Baby Jesus from His Mother, reminding us of the Blessed Vision he had at the start of his priesthood. |
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| Painting: We will first have a look at the more important pieces by well known painters, also we will note some curiosities from both Europe and the Americas. |
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| Giambattista Tiepolo 1. “Apparition of the Sacred Family to San Gaetano” 1735-36 Oil on canvas 128x73cm painting, composed of four figures. Bottom right, San Gaetano holds his hands to his chest and looks at Baby Jesus; he seems submissive and at the same time praising the Lord. At his side is an altar, at his feet a lily, symbol of chastity. Clouds support the Sacred family, St Joseph holding a smiling Baby Jesus while looking at San Gaetano. Sitting higher up on the right Mary is directing her glance to San Gaetano while she presents him the Holy Babe. Two cherubs hold Mary’s veil behind her and on the left there is an angel in the shadows holding onto a cloud and holding a cane of lilies, symbol of chastity. Picture on Right..... |
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| 2. “The Apotheosis of San Gaetano Thiene” 1757 This painting hangs at the church of Santa Maria Maddalena at Rampazzo di Camisano Vicentino. It represents the exaltation of the Saint to heaven and was commissioned by the Thiene family. The little church in the picture is there to commemorate the construction of the parish church that the Saint himself had asked to be built, in fact his right hand is pointing at it. San Gaetano is shown in priestly robes reaching heaven supported by clouds and a cherub while he is being greeted by other cherubs represented by their heads and wings. The Philatelic and Numismatic office of the Vatican issued, in the series of Saints, an Aerogramme in 1998 with the reproduction of part of this painting. .....Picture on Left. |
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| Giovanni Battista Piazzetta "Guardian Angel with St.Anthony of Padova and San Gaetano of Thiene" The church of San Vitale, was rebuilt around 1700. The Piazzetta canvas was painted c.1727-30 as part of a group of altarpieces commissioned from several artists, including Sebastiano Ricci. It is a striking example of the chiaroscuro style which distinguishes Piazzetta's work from that of his younger contemporary G.B.Tiepolo. The restoration was made possible by a generous donation from the Charlotte Bonham Carter Charitable Trust and was completed in time for the painting's inclusion in the "Glory of Venice" exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in 1994. The painting currently hangs in the church of San Samuele. Picture on Right..... |
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| Ubaldo Gandolfi “The Vision of San Gaetano Thiene” 1775 Pen and brown ink, brown wash over black chalk 270 x 208 mm. Prints of this are on sale over the internet. This must have been the sketch preparation drawing or ‘Bozzetto’ for the one Gandolfi did in oils on canvas in 1775. The actual painting is 208 x 146 cm and is in the Pinacoteca Civica of the town of Cento in the province of Ferrara. Pictures of Bozzetto and Painting Below. |
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| Mattia Preti: Painter from Calabria Italy who died in Malta in 1699 and who is said to be second only to the great Caravaggio. “Madonna di Loreto with San Gaetano and San Francesco di Paola”. This painting was transfered, together with other Mattia Preti works, from other churches and convents ruined by earthquakes. It can nowadays be seen in the church of Santa Barbara in Taverna. Painting on Right..... |
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| Attributed to Giovanni Lanfranco "The Virgin Hands the Child to San Gaetano of Thiene" c. 1620-30 This oil on canvas which can be found at the Vatican Pinacoteca, is believed to have been commissioned by the Theatine Fathers on the occasion of their founder’s Beatification in 1629. This depiction of the saint’s vision reflects the founding moment of the Theatines and their spirituality. In the upper right corner angels are holding an open book bearing the Theatine motto, “Quaerite Primum Regnum Dei”. With Mary and Baby Jesus, and Gaetano dressed in a cassock, there is another figure which could be either Saint Jerome (mentioned in the letter about the vision) or another Theatine Saint, Andrea Avellino. |
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| Carl Rosa. (? - 1678) Two different churches but two paintings of San Gaetano in very similar style unmistakably by one artist. |
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| Bari - Giovinazzo: Carmelite church: Oil on canvas, 250x160 cm representing San Gaetano in a field of lilies, roses and birds, holding a pen and writing on a book held by a cherub. He is looking at a scroll with writing on it from Matt.6:25-34, held up by two little cherubs. Picture on Right..... |  |
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| Matera - Duomo: Signed and dated 1652. Note the similarities: Same two cherubs with same scroll and writing. Gaetano again writing on a book this time held by an angel. Gaetano’s forehead, nose and eyes are uncannily the same in both pictures. .....Picture on Left. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Francesco Solimena. “San Gaetano Thiene” Painted between 1721 and 1725, this oil on canvas is 66 X 49.5cm and can be seen in Venice in the Museo del settecento Veneziano within the Martini collection. Picture Right..... |
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| Francisco Goya. 1. “San Cayetano” (1771-1772). This well known Spanish painter worked up to his early eighties, so it is not surprising that we can find not one but two 'San Cayetanos' from his hand. He was at one time a follower of Tiepolo. This painting we can find in the Zaragoza museum in Spain and was originally painted by Goya in his youth in oils on a wall, but was later transferred to canvas. The size is 37 x 30 cm. Please note that the Saint here is surely shown in the last part of his life because he is depicted leaning to one side showing that his leg is not supporting him enough. This is recorded as real fact in other sources. Picture on Right..... |
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| 2. “San Cayetano” (1775-1780). Another painting of the Saint, this one done by a more mature Goya. It is 52 x 40 cm. in oils on canvas and must have been commissioned by the Theatine order because there is a scroll under a book on the lower right hand corner on which is written in Spanish: “San Cayetano. Founder”. This painting is nowadays in a private collection. .....Picture on Left. |
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| M. Bortoloni: 'The Apotheosis of San Gaetano' which one can see in the Venice church of San Andrea Avellino, on the ceiling above the main altar. Picture Near Right...... Copies of this work are available for sale over the internet. Picture far right...... |
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| Croatia - Kostajnica An 18th century painting of Sveti Kajetan by an unknown author. Picture Left...... Size: 34 X 25cm. Done in tempera and ‘Zlatovez’. (Zlatovez is traditional Slavonian embroidery done in golden thread.) |
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| In the new world Old 18th and 19th century paintings especially on wood or copper, called ‘retablos’ abound. There are even tapestries of the Saint. Many all be it copies, are nowadays sold to tourists or over the internet. In many, San Cayetano is shown alone but sometimes he is in the company of other Saints. See pictures Below...... |
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| Genoa - 'Babuino' Auction House Among the antique furnishings of a Venetian villa in 2008 were four oil paintings on canvas by the Venetian painter Francesco Migliori, Delia done during his later years. Each of the four depicted Saints played an important role in relation to the Catholic reformation. The image of San Gaetano Thiene shows him receiving a crown of roses from an angel. |
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| Juan Tinoco "The Lactation of San Cayetano." Painted by the 18th century Mexican painter, the painting suggests that the academic Baroque had flowered fully in the New World. We see Mary giving her milk to the swooning saint: the utter physicality of the Divine is never in question, whether it is in academic painting or popular modes of expression nowadays called 'Folk art'. |
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| Ramon Jose Lopez "San Cayetano" New Mexico: Brain-tanned buffalo hide painting with natural pigments and sewn on sinew, 102" x 83", 2001. On permanent loan to El Convento at La Plaza De Espanola. |
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| Brazil: Gianbattista Tiepolo: In the 'Museu Nacional de Belas Artes' (Museum of fine arts) of Rio de Janeiro, there is a beautiful Sao Caetano with three symbols: A crucifix (love of Christ), a Bible (his preaching vocation) and a cane of lilies (indicating his purity). Picture on Right..... |
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| The painting of Heilige Kajetan on the Left is from an old German manuscript with wording in Latin The one on the Right with our Saint holding Baby Jesus is a modern Eastern style Icon painted on wood. The letters are made to imitate Kiryllic Script. |
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| From an Australian painter: Lionel Lindsey: 1936 drypoint rendition of: “Carmelite convent of San Gaetano, Cordova” showing people and donkeys outside the walls of the convent in Spain. Picture Left. |
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| Patron Saint of GAMBLERS! It is awful to find out how certain groups distort religious views. In South America some treat San Cayetano as the patron saint of gamblers and try to make money off him accordingly by selling items such as the money clip on the right bearing his image and name! I am just including this item as a piece of artwork. Picture Right...... Tattoo! Again in South America actually in Avellaneda in the province of Santa Fe, one can get tattooed with any design. The one on the Right shows that type of 'Art' with the image of our Saint on the shoulder of an individual. This extreme use of San Cayetano's semblance is surely not devotion! Picture Right...... |
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| An old Holy Picture: Issued from the Church of San Paolo Maggiore in Napoli. In the Crypt of this Church (which is a church in itself, dedicated to San Gaetano), lie the remains of our Saint. Picture Left...... |
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| An old book: 'Historical notes on the life of San Gaetano' written by Francesco Grimaldi and published in Napoli in 1856. (For sale over the Internet) Picture Right...... |
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| Stained Glass: Semi circular stained glass depicting San Gaetano holding Jesus, and an angel. This piece of art was on sale over the internet. Picture Left.... |
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| Malta - Hamrun. Gaetano Bugeja of Hamrun In the Spanish Theatine publication “Mundo Teatino” of the 7th June 2007, there is an article about the Canonization of the first Maltese Saint, Gorg Preca, a priest from Hamrun Malta. There is also a picture of a painting by Gaetano Bugeja of Hamrun, depicting his brother being consecrated to Mary and Jesus by St.Gorg Preca during his First Holy Communion. On the other side of the painting is San Gaetano whom St.Gorg imitated. San Gaetano is shown kneeling in front of Mary and Jesus and in the background one can also see a rendition of the Parish Church dedicated to him of Hamrun. Picture Right. |
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| Blessed John Marinoni was San Gaetano's close friend and one of the founders of the Theatines: He is depicted on the Right on a small painting done in the 17th century, in the Church of San Gaetano in Padova. Between 1662 and 1762 this Church was deconsecrated but Pope Clement XIII reconsecrated it. |
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| Items on sale on E-Bay: Over time people sell of items of art connected to San Gaetano on E-Bay. Here is a selection: Even though this 1700's item is a holy relic in itself, the seller is disposing of it as a work of art and describes it as:The interior decoration is made up of beautiful and accurate lines of silver and gold paper surrounding and housing the holy relics with the inscription in Latin: "S. Conf Caietani Tianensis" On the back, a wax seal ensures the integrity of the relic. The silk threads that seal the shrine are intact. Size of casket excluding hook: 40 x 33 mm Picture Right...... Rare original antique engraving with a beautiful depiction in which the Child Jesus in the arms of Our Lady offers bread to San Gaetano; Work dating from the mid-800, printed in Rome by G. Picture Right...... Another Etching of San Gaetano holding Baby Jesus. Picture Far Right...... This is a fairly modern piece of stained glass showing our Saint. Picture Right...... |
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