Madonna of the Rosary - (Campania)

Confraternity of the Madonna del S. Rosario

Crowned by the fifteen mysteries, the canvas depicting the Madonna del Rosario was placed on the altar of the chapel of the homonymous Confraternity, to the left of the parish church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Casali di Roccapiemonte. Now the painting is placed on the left side wall of the presbytery of the Church itself. The iconographic description expresses the solemnity of the event through a representation of great luministic impact. The space is defined by the set of figures that fit into the narrative, also highlighting the little dog with the lit torch, a symbol of the Dominican order. The gestures intersect in an accentuated chiaroscuro contrast with bright colors. The chromatic and luministic intensity and the extreme naturalness of the scene refer to the most famous Madonna del Rosario by Francesco Solimena, today at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, also defined by a light that suddenly seems to strike the figures, accentuating the solemnity of the event, without for this to decrease the expressive naturalness of the figures and the sobriety of the narration. Devotion to the Rosary is typical of the Dominican order because, according to tradition, the Madonna appeared to St. Dominic giving him a crown