Architectural Fantasy depicting the healing of the paralysed
François de Nomé (1593-1630)
François de Nomé – Architectural Fantasy depicting the healing of the paralysed
1622. oil on canvas
Location: Private Collection
На эту операцию может потребоваться несколько секунд.
Информация появится в новом окне,
если открытие новых окон не запрещено в настройках вашего браузера.
Для работы с коллекциями – пожалуйста, войдите в аккаунт (open in new window).
Поделиться ссылкой в соцсетях:
You cannot comment Why?
The central focus is a massive, multi-tiered edifice topped with an open-lattice dome. This dome functions more like a scaffold for statuary than a structural ceiling, allowing light to pass through its framework. The architect depicted here has layered the facade with a relentless succession of Corinthian columns and pilasters, creating a sense of infinite upward movement. Every available surface is occupied by sculptural figures – nymphs, deities, or allegorical personifications – that inhabit niches, atop cornices, and along the balustrades. This creates a living architecture where the distinction between structural support and decorative figure is blurred.
In terms of composition, the artist employs a strong diagonal recession. The building stretches from the lower left toward the upper right, guiding the eye through a series of receding planes. To the far left, a single, massive fluted column stands in the foreground, serving as a repoussoir element that provides scale and depth to the sprawling complex behind it.
The subtext of this work appears to revolve around the concept of the infinite and the human aspiration toward the divine through order and complexity. The sheer scale of the architecture suggests an idealized, perhaps even impossible, utopia – a space where every inch is consecrated to art and geometry. There is a tension between the heavy, stone-like appearance of the masonry and the ethereal, almost lace-like quality of the upper tiers.
On the ground level, the presence of small human figures provides a crucial sense of scale. Their diminutive size compared to the towering colonnades emphasizes a theme of human insignificance in the face of monumental achievement or divine architecture. The lighting is diffused, casting soft shadows that suggest an overcast or twilight setting, which adds a dreamlike, melancholic atmosphere to this fantastical construction. Ultimately, the work functions as a meditation on structural complexity, where the boundary between the built environment and the sculptural realm has been entirely dissolved.