12 Saint Charles Borromeo Meditating on the Crucifix 1767 Oil on canvas 63.4 x 38.3 cm (24% x 15 in.) The Samuel Courtauld Trust at the Courtauld Institute Gallery, Courtauld Institute of Art, London; inv. 452 PROVENANCE EXHIBITIONS 323-57; Whistler 1985!), 323, 325, Probably retained by Giambattista Venice 1951, no. 100; London, 1954-55, 327n.38; Levey 1986, 272-77, 279, 282, Tiepolo in his studio; upon his death, no. 508; London 1960, no. 417. 295n.22; Bradford and Braham 1989, 25; probably by inheritance to his son, Barcham 1992, 122-23, fig- 39; Brown 1993, 4O, 318-21, fig. 60; Gemin and Giandomenico Tiepolo (1727-1804); BIBLIOGRAPHY Pedrocco 1993, 495, fig. 527a; Spike probably sold to Francisco Bayeu Mayer 1935, 300 (illus.); Coletti 1936, 1993, 82, 84-85, fig. 30; Christiansen (1734-179$), Madrid, 1770-95; upon 170-71; Morassi 1950, 206, 209, fig. i; 1996, 242; Marini 1998, 1:102, 2:44, his death, held in trust by the estate; Dazzi 1951, 184; Lorenzetti 1951, 131, fig. 8; Whistler 1998, 71, 73-75, fig. 4; sold to Leonardo Chopinot, Madrid, 133, fig. 100; Saltillo 1952, 76; Venice Pedrocco 2002, 208-10, fig. 281.7.3.. 1795-1800; by inheritance to his wife, 1952, no. 72; Sanchez Canton 1953, 1800; private collection, Brazil, in 1935; 19-21, fig. 26; Morassi I955a, 37, fig. 6r, London dealer, 1948; sold to Count Seilern 1959, 165, pi. CXXXVII; Antoine Seilern (1901-1978), London, Crivellato 1960, 79; Crivellato 1962, 89; 1949; by bequest to the Home House Morassi 1962, 9, 20; Gaya Nuno 1964, Trustees for the Courtauld Institute of 93, fig. 109; Piovene and Pallucchini Art, University of London, 1978. 1968, 134-3$, fig- 299g; Rizzi 1971, i:i43, 154, fig- 90; Knox 1980, 1:328; Braham 1981, 80, fig. 115; Whistler 1984, 303-4, AN ANGEL HOVERING AT UPPER RIGHT in lay education and in consolidating the power pulls back a rust orange curtain to of the parish. He also served as cardinal protector reveal Saint Charles Borromeo kneeling before of the Franciscan order, and for this reason— an altar. Deep in meditation, the saint has along with the fact that he shared the name of crossed his arms in prayer and gazes intently on the king—he appears in this Alcantarine altar- a wooden or ivory crucifix. This large object piece. Yet the saint's crosier, miter, and cope leans against the altar, energizing the work with have been discarded at right, deemphasizing his its powerful diagonal. A monumental Veronesian identity as a reformer and public leader. Instead, structure irradiated in daylight—by far the most Tiepolo presents him in the midst of a deeply splendid setting for all the Aranjuez paintings— personal meditation, and in this way he joins rises behind the saint. The low vantage point the company of the other saints depicted by the accentuates the grandeur of the backdrop: two artist at Aranjuez (cat. nos. 9 and n). colossal white columns anchor the composition Tiepolo took great care to align this compo- at right, and a monumental arch of tan stone sition with the other canvases for San Pascual opens at left to a white marble balustrade in the Baylon. In particular, the architectural setting of distance. this altarpiece relates closely to that of Saint Archbishop of Milan and founder of the Pascal Baylon's Vision of the Eucharist (cat. no. 9), Oratorians, Charles Borromeo (1534—1584) was and the two works were clearly meant to be one of the great Counter-Reformation figures. understood in tandem, divided into a system of He played an important role at the Council of 1 structural opposites. Tiepolo juxtaposed the Trent and spearheaded key reforms, particularly Lombard's noble origins and civic status with 76