Roman Charity by Mellin Louvre RF 1985-81 n01

Charles Mellin (; 1597, Nancy – 21 September 1649,

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

) was a French painter of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

era. He was from Nancy,

Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...

, but spent his artistic career in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, where he was nicknamed ''Carlo Lorenese'' ("Charles the Lorrainer").

Life and work

He worked on murals and decorated the Chapel of the Virgin at the church of

San Luigi dei Francesi The Church of St. Louis of the French (, , ) is a Catholic Church, Catholic church near Piazza Navona in Rome. The church is dedicated to the patron saints of France: Virgin Mary, Dionysius the Areopagite and King Louis IX of France. The churc ...

in 1631. He had competed with

Nicolas Poussin Nicolas Poussin (, , ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was a French painter who was a leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythologic ...

and

Giovanni Lanfranco Giovanni Lanfranco (26 January 1582 – 30 November 1647) was an Italian Baroque painter. Biography Giovanni Gaspare Lanfranco was born in Parma, the third son of Stefano and Cornelia Lanfranchi, and was placed as a page in the household of Coun ...

for the job of decorating this chapel. During the early part of his career, Mellin collaborated with, and was influenced by,

Simon Vouet Simon Vouet (; 9 January 1590 – 30 June 1649) was a French painter who studied and rose to prominence in Italy before being summoned by Louis XIII to serve as Premier peintre du Roi in France. He and his studio of artists created religious and ...

, but Vouet's influence diminished after Vouet left Italy for

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. He is also said to have been influenced by

Domenichino Domenico Zampieri (, ; October 21, 1581 – April 6, 1641), known by the diminutive Domenichino (, ) after his shortness, was an Italian Baroque painter of the Bolognese School of painters. Life Domenichino was born in Bologna, son of a shoe ...

. After Vouet's departure, he worked for the Muti Papazzurri family as official painter. He decorated the

Palazzo Muti The Palazzo Muti (officially the Palazzo Muti e Santuario della Madonna dell' Archetto) is a large townhouse in the Piazza dei Santi Apostoli, Rome, Italy, built in 1644. Together with the neighboring Palazzo Muti Papazzurri, it originally form ...

between 1628 and 1631, painting the vaults of the Galleria, and remnants of his work there still survive. He also taught painting to the two sons of the Muti Papazzurri family. In Rome, he painted a fresco, ''

St. Francis de Paul Francis of Paola, O.M. (also known as Francis the Fire Handler; 27 March 1416 – 2 April 1507), was a Roman Catholic friar from the town of Paola in Calabria who founded the Order of Minims. Like his patron saint (Francis of Assisi), but unlike ...

before

Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V (; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death, in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order, where h ...

'', for the church of

Trinità dei Monti The Church of Santissima Trinità dei Monti, often called simply Trinità dei Monti (French: ''La Trinité-des-Monts''), is a Roman Catholic late Renaissance titular church, part of a monastery complex in Rome. It is best known for its positio ...

. He also decorated the choir at the

Abbey of Monte Cassino The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Catholic, Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley. Located on the site of the ancient Roman town of Casinum, it is the first house ...

from 1636 until 1637 with a cycle of 15 paintings, which was destroyed during the

Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. From 1643 to 1647 he worked in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. He created a ''Purification of the Virgin'' for the high altar of the church of the Santissima Annunziata Maggiore in the city, which was completed in 1645. This painting was lost in a 1757 fire, but there is an etched copy that survives. In Naples, he painted an ''Immaculate Conception'' (1646) and an ''Annunciation'' (1647) for the church of

Santa Donna Regina Nuova Santa Maria Donnregina Nuova is a church in central Naples, Italy. It is called ''Nuova'' ("new") to distinguish it from the older Angevin church of Santa Maria Donna Regina Vecchia. History The earliest church was built on this location in the ...

. The revolt of

Masaniello Tommaso Aniello (29 June 1620 – 16 July 1647), popularly known by the contracted name Masaniello (, ), was an Italian fisherman who became leader of the 1647 revolt against the rule of Habsburg Spain in the Kingdom of Naples. Name and place ...

caused him to leave Naples for Rome. He trained painters, such as

Nicolas Labbé Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

, but did not have a workshop per se.

Works

*''The Holy Family with the Infant St. John''. Oil on canvas - 58,5 x 74,5 cm. Paris, private collection. Simon Vouet or his workshop - Ascribed to Charles Mellin. *''Angels with Instruments of Christ’s Passion''. Oil on canvas - 102 x 78 cm. Naples, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte. * ''Apollo''. Oil on canvas - 108 x 86 cm Paris, private collection. * ''The Assumption of the Virgin''. Oil on canvas - 98,1 x 103,1 cm. Puerto Rico, Museo de Arte de Ponce. * ''The Stoning of Saint Stephen''. Oil on canvas - 189 x 283 cm. Caen, église Saint-Etienne * ''The Stoning of Saint Stephen''. Oil on canvas - 48 x 66 cm. San Casciano, Bandini-Granelli Collection. * ''Saint Stephen''. Oil on canvas - 61 x 48,5 cm. Nantes, Musée des Beaux-Arts. * ''The Sacrifice of Abel''. Oil on canvas - 38 x 29,5 cm. Nancy, Musée Lorrain. *''The Annunciation''. Pen, brown ink and wash - 20,6 x 21,2 cm. Montpellier, Musée Fabre. *''Saint Stephen''. Attributed to the circle of Charles Mellin. Oil on canvas - 101 x 139 cm. Ajaccio, Musée Fesch. *''Portrait of a Gentleman''. Attributed to Charles Mellin.

Gemäldegalerie, Berlin The (, Painting Gallery) is an art museum in Berlin, Germany, and the museum where the main selection of paintings belonging to the Berlin State Museums (''Staatliche Museen zu Berlin'') is displayed. It was first opened in 1830, and the cur ...

. 1630. Oil on canvas. 121 cm (47.64 in). Height: 203 cm (79.92 in).

References

Sources

*Philippe Malgouyres, ''Charles Mellin, un Lorrain entre Rome et Naples'', Somogy Editions d’Art. .

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mellin, Charles 1597 births 1649 deaths Artists from Nancy, France Painters from Grand Est French Baroque painters 17th-century French painters French male painters Fresco painters