Author: Domenico Beverense
Dating: Circa 1680
Century: 17th century
Technique: Oil on canvas
Location: Central nave, first right arch (on the map number 13)
The Carmelite saint Andrea Corsini was born in Fiesole, where he later became bishop. His prayerful presence from heaven, through the customary divine benevolence sought by the Madonna, supports the troops of Florence and the Pope who, allied on that occasion, are fighting against the interference of the Milanese in the famous Battle of Anghiari, a location near Arezzo. The bloody event took place in 1440 and ended with the defeat of the Visconti forces, who pursued territorial expansion and political interference in northern Italy. The Florentines attributed the result of that important victory to the ideal support of the saint.
In the painting, the saint, dressed in episcopal garments, a brown tunic, and a fluttering white cloak, appears at the top, occupying a large part of the canvas, on the back of a galloping white horse. In the lower part, defeated soldiers in armor and helmets are fleeing. Everything moves dynamically simultaneously with the arrival of Corsini, whose epic presentation on that galloping horse impresses.
Little is known about Domenico Beverense: he was certainly born in Venice around 1626 and worked extensively in his city. He was an artist who could be defined as “baroque” and remained within a distinctly Venetian line of moderation. He died in Vicenza in 1694.
