The Neapolitan artist Preti, who later moved to Malta, depicts here the rare literary theme of the legend of Belisarius. This general of the Byzantine emperor fell into disgrace, became blind and was reduced to beggary. Belisarius here accepts an obolus, a Greek coin, from a young nobleman. On the paper above his head is written: 'obbulum bilisari'.
Specifications
| Title | Belisarius Receiving Alms |
|---|---|
| Material and technique | Oil on canvas |
| Object type |
Painting
> Painting
> Two-dimensional object
> Art object
|
| Location | This object is in storage |
| Dimensions |
Width 198,5 cm Height 152,5 cm |
|---|---|
| Artists |
Painter:
Mattia Preti
|
| Accession number | 3245 (OK) |
| Credits | Purchased with the support of Stichting Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rembrandt Association, 1991 |
| Department | Old Masters |
| Acquisition date | 1991 |
| Creation date | in 1660 - 1665 |
| Collector | Collector / Vitale Bloch |
| Internal exhibitions |
The Collection Enriched (2011) |
| Material | |
| Object | |
| Geographical origin | Italy > Southern Europe > Europe |
All about the artist
Mattia Preti
Taverna 1613 - Malta 1699
Mattia Preti was probably in Rome before 1630; he worked there in his brother Gregorio's studio. Before this, he had already become acquainted with the painting...
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