Q: What about Nicolo Barabino's Madonnas?

He discovered a close aesthetic affinity with the painter Muzziolo, and had great admiration for Meissonier and Alma Tadema, which he expressed in his Paris journals.  The works of Manet puzzled him. Barabino was a painter of the 18th century, influenced by what we call academic art.  But he had adopted some of the characteristics of naturalism, namely a style that can be termed orientalist.  We can observe this tendency in his Madonna paintings.  The Madonna is wrapped in robes of abundant drapery, and a more-than-generous veil covers not only her head, but also--in some of his Madonna paintings--most of her body.  By the same token, her head is partially plunged in shadow, which accentuates the remote and mysterious character of the woman and suggests her mid-eastern provenance.  The mid-19th century was the time of Doré and others who adopted a realistic approach in their painting and drawing of biblical figures.   Barabino's Madonnas reflect a similar tendency, albeit with a somewhat theatrical emphasis.

Barabino painted a series of Madonnas of almost identical appearance [see below].  There is not only a "Madonna of the Lemons,"¹ but one called "Madonna of the Olives," another "Madonna della Primavera,"² still another "Madonna del Rosario."³  In one of the representations, for which the title is not not known to us, the baby Jesus holds a twig in his left hand.⁴  It should be observed that, "Madonna of the Lemons" and "Madonna of the Olives" may be one and the same painting.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

We have a black-and-white postcard rendering the "Madonna of the Lemons" [see right] which bears the inscription: "Sicut Oliva speciosa in campis," and thus suggests the name "Madonna of the Olives."  The little black fruits on the branches surrounding mother and child seem, indeed, to be olives.  Barabino's biography mentions a "Madonna Consolatrice degli Afflitti" (i.e. Consolation of the Afflicted) which apparently made the painter's reputation, and was commonly named 'Barabino Madonna' in his time.  Unfortunately, we do not have a visual document of this painting.  Barabino has made contributions to many churches, not only that of Sampierdarena, but also to parish churches in S. Giacomo della Costa, Sestri Levante, the sanctuary of Rapallo, and the Hospital church of the Duchess of Galliera.  The "Madonna of the Rosary" was a contribution made to the Immaculata Church in Genova.

Barabino's typical style of what has been called "abstract sensuality" is found in other paintings of the same period (e.g. F. Ittenbachers' Ego Dilecto or Dagnan-Bouveret's La Vierge et la Pergola).  The Schoenstatt Madonna [at left] shows similar accents.  The original Madonna and Child painting on which it is based, entitled Refugium Peccatorum (i.e. Refuge of Sinners), was done by the little-known Italian artist, Luigi Crosio (1835-1915).  A color print in an octagonal frame was purchased for about 23 marks in a Freiburg antique shop and eventually became a central part of Schoenstatt's existence.

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