A Forgotten Picture : A painting of St. Charles Borromeo, newly attributed to Martin Antonín Lublinský
Abstract
The Archiepiscopal Palace, Olomouc holds in its collections the painting St. Charles Borromeo at Prayer.
Until recently, the painting has been attributed to an unknown central-European artist of the first third of the 18th century. However, it was actually created by Olomouc painter Martin Antonín Lublinský (1636-1690).
The picture was probably directly commissioned by Olomouc Bishop Karl II of Lichtenstein-Castelkorn for his private chapel at the Mírov castle, one of the residences of Olomouc bishops. Beyond doubt, Karl II of Lichtenstein-Castelkorn chose St.
Charles Borromeo, a Milan archbishop and cardinal, as his patron saint and protector not only for his name but also as his model in spiritual matters. The parallel between Karl II of Lichtenstein-Castelkorn and St.
Charles Borromeo is illustrated by the newly-attributed picture, as well as by a university thesis by František Biretta of Bradenfels representing the apotheosis of the Olomouc bishop as the second St. Charles Borromeo, produced in 1686 to a design of Martin Antonín Lublinský.
The article presents archive records concerning the painting in the Mírov inventories from the late 17th century until its transfer to the Archiepiscopal Palace. The author proposes dating for the picture and its classification with Lublinský's oeuvre.
Martin Antonín Lublinský would frequently draw inspiration for his work from prints and drawings by other artists preserved in several albums in the Scientific Library, Olomouc. The Mírov painting falls in the same category: Lublinský was inspired by the famous Bologna painter Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Il Guercino.