Encounters at the Morgan (Part II) — Fantasy and Reality: The Art of Johan Tobias Sergel

Self-Portrait, ca. 1772, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel (1740-1814)

Another unexpected pleasure of exploring the Morgan Library & Museum this past weekend was discovering the work of Swedish sculptor and draftsman Johan Tobias Sergel in Fantasy and Reality: The Art of Johan Tobias Sergel.

Henry Fuseli Conjures Fierce Witches and
Demons in Rome, ca. 1775-76, pen and
brown ink and brown and gray wash,
over black chalk, Johan Tobias Sergel

Little known outside his native Sweden, Sergel was an accomplished artist whose years in Rome deepened his appreciation of classical antiquity and profoundly influenced his sculpture. His travels also took him to Southern Italy, including Naples, Portici, and Pompeii, where the rediscovered treasures of the ancient world offered further inspiration.

Among the works that caught my attention were his Faun and studies for Diomedes, both reflecting his fascination with classical mythology and the human form. I was particularly struck by the contrast between the refinement of his sculpture and the spontaneity of his drawings. His sketches, caricatures, and self-portraits reveal a lively imagination, a sharp sense of humor, and a more intimate side of the artist.

The exhibition also featured works by artists in Sergel’s circle, including Henry Fuseli, whose dramatic, often unsettling art I have long admired. Their inclusion offered a glimpse into the creative exchanges that flourished among artists of the period.

It was a delightful introduction to a gifted artist who deserves greater recognition.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 10th, Feasts of Sant’Andrea Avellino, San Respicio, and Santa Ninfa

Achilles on the Shore, ca. 1774-75, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel

(L) Santa Susanna, ca. 1768-69, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel.
(R) Diomedes, ca. 1770, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel 

(L) Tobias and the Fish, ca. 1768-69, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel.
(R) River God, ca. 1773, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel

The Faun, 1794, marble, Johan Tobias Sergel

The Faun, ca. 1769-70, terracotta, Johan Tobias Sergel

The Faun, ca. 1778-96(?), bronze, Johan Tobias Sergel

Sophie Hagman, Ballet Dancer, 1793, plaster, Johan Tobias Sergel

(L) Viscountess Bulkeley as Hebe, 1775, pen and brown ink and brown wash over graphite, with white opaque watercolor, George Romney (1734-1802).
(R) Lady Macbeth, ca. 1774-75, pen and brown ink and brown wash, over black chalk, Henry Fuseli (1741-1825)

Centaur and Nymph, ca. 1771-72, pen and brown ink
and gray wash, over graphite, Johan Tobias Sergel

(L) Acrobats, 1779, pen and brown ink and brown wash, "Master of the Giants," probably Prince Hoare (1755-1834). (R) Study for the Head of Diomedes, ca. 1770, red chalk, Johan Tobias Sergel

Gustav III and His Entourage Climbing Vesuvius, 21 February 1784, 1784, pen and brown ink and brown wash, Johan Tobias Sergel

Death of Gaius Gracchus, 1776, pen and brown ink
and brown wash, Henry Fuseli

A Torturous Dream: Sheet 3 of the Melancholy Suite (Second Version), 1795, pen and black ink and gray wash, Johan Tobias Sergel 

Sergel on the Globe: The Artist's Vigil, While Everyone Sleeps, 1797, pen and black ink and gray wash, Nicolai Abildgaard (1742-1809)

Remembering the Fallen — A Prayer for Veterans Day

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

In honor of Veterans Day I’m posting a Prayer for Deceased Veterans. The accompanying photo of the Sixty First District Memorial was taken at Greenwood Playground, my childhood stomping ground, located at the corner of East 5th Street and Greenwood Avenue, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. Dedicated on November 11, 1922, the classical bronze relief by Charles Keck commemorates the 47 men of Draft Board District 61 who made the ultimate sacrifice in WWI.

Prayer for Deceased Veterans

O God, by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest, look kindly on your departed veterans who gave their lives in the service of their country. Grant that through the passion, death, and resurrection of your Son they may share in the joy of your heavenly kingdom and rejoice in you with your saints forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Annual Angel Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

November 24, 2026 through January 6, 2027

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, New York

Exhibition Overview

On view in the majestic Medieval Sculpture Hall, this beloved holiday tradition features a 20-foot blue spruce adorned with 19 cherubs, 59 angels, and an additional 71 figures that evoke 18th-century Naples Nativity scenes.

The installation is set in front of the eighteenth-century Spanish choir screen from the Cathedral of Valladolid in Gallery 305.

For more info, visit www.metmuseum.org

Encounters at the Morgan (Part I) — Rembrandt’s Lions: Art and Exile in the Dutch Republic

The Mill, ca. 1645-48, oil on canvas, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669)

During a recent visit to the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan, I had the pleasure of seeing Rembrandt’s Lions: Art and Exile in the Dutch Republic, an exhibition devoted to the great master of the Dutch Golden Age.

The clear highlight for me was The Mill, a magnificent painting whose quiet grandeur transforms an ordinary landscape into something timeless. While admiring it, my companion pointed out a curious detail I had not known. At some point in its history, the canvas had been unevenly trimmed to fit a stretcher, leaving the composition slightly tilted to the right. Once brought to my attention, the irregularity became difficult to ignore, though it did nothing to diminish the painting’s beauty.

Another favorite was The Three Trees, Rembrandt’s celebrated 1643 etching, incorporating drypoint and engraving. Widely regarded as his most ambitious landscape print, its dramatic sky and sweeping countryside demonstrate his extraordinary command of the medium.

It was a wonderful opportunity to admire an artist whose mastery of light, shadow, and composition continues to captivate nearly four centuries later.

Fortunately, this remarkable encounter with Rembrandt is only the beginning. With Rembrandt and the Ancients coming to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2027, there is even more to look forward to.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 9th, Feast of Sant’Agrippino di Napoli

The Three Trees, 1643, etching, engraving, and drypoint, Rembrandt van Rijn

(L) The Beheading of St. John the Baptist, 1640, etching and drypoint, Rembrandt van Rijn. (R) Self-Portrait with Raised Sabre, 1634, etching and drypoint, Rembrandt van Rijn

(L) Portrait of Herman Doomer, 1640, oil on panel, Rembrandt van Rijn.
(R) Head of a Girl, ca. 1645, oil on panel, Rembrandt van Rijn

(L) Self-Portrait Etching at a Window, 1648, etching and drypoint,
Rembrandt van Rijn. (R) Man with a Fur-Trimmed Hat, ca. 1645-48,
oil on canvas, Ferdinand Bol (1616[?]-1680[?]) 

The Large Lion Hunt, 1641, etching, Rembrandt van Rijn

The Small Lion Hunt (with Two Lions), ca. 1629; The Small Lion Hunt (with One Lion), ca. 1629, etching, Rembrandt van Rijn

Dutch lion dollar, 1662, silver, unidentified artist 

Johannes Jansz Visscher (1587-1652), after Claes Jansz Visscher (1618-1679) Novissima et accuratissima leonis Belgici, seuseptemdecim regionum description (Newest and most accurate description of the Belgian lion, or of the seventeen provinces), 1611, engraving with hand coloring

Judas Returning the Thirty Pieces of Silver, ca. 1628-29, pen and brown ink and gray wash, over black chalk, Rembrandt van Rijn

Feast of St. Josaphat at the Oratory of St. Josaphat in Bayside, Queens

Celebrating the External Solemnity of the Holy Relics at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, New York

A few photographs from Sunday’s Traditional Latin Mass celebrating the External Solemnity of the Holy Relics at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, New York.

Exposed for veneration during and after Mass were first-class relics of St. Maria Goretti, St. Junípero Serra, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Paschal Baylon, and St. Clare of Assisi, along with a glove belonging to St. Padre Pio.

These sacred treasures, part of the parish’s own collection, offer a tangible connection to the saints and a beautiful reminder of the Church’s enduring traditions. All ye holy saints, orate pro nobis.

In Search of the Donni di Fora with the Ghost of the Count of Sciancato

In Search of… with the Ghost of the Count of Sciancato explores mysteries where history and legend blur and conjecture begins—along with the strange, the macabre, and the uncanny. What follows suggests possible explanations—though not the only ones.

The Donni di Fora: Sicily’s Mysterious Ladies from the Outside

In the villages and countryside of Sicily, where ancient superstitions endure, whispers persist of mysterious women who wander between the world of men and the realm of the fae. They are called the donni di fora, the Ladies from the Outside.

Unlike the hideous witches of popular imagination, they are often described as beautiful, richly dressed women who travel unseen through the night. According to legend, they enter houses, attend splendid banquets, and meet in secret assemblies beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.

Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing by William Blake

Some believe these nocturnal visitors bring blessings, heal the sick, and bestow good fortune on those who welcome them. Others fear provoking their wrath, for the same mysterious ladies can inflict illness, misfortune, and suffering. Their favor is a gift, but their vengeance is not easily escaped.

Women who have claimed to accompany them tell extraordinary stories. While their bodies sleep, their spirits supposedly wander abroad, joining the supernatural company in feasts and revelries.

Among the nights associated with their gatherings is St. John’s Eve, when the boundary between the natural and supernatural worlds is believed to grow thin. On such nights, the donni di fora are said to gather in secret places.

Perhaps these mysterious ladies are remnants of a forgotten past, transformed by centuries of storytelling into creatures of both wonder and dread. Yet when darkness settles, and a sudden chill passes through the sultry summer air, one might wonder whether the Ladies from the Outside still wander among us, passing unseen, forever belonging to a world just beyond our own.

……………………………………

Sebastiano III, Conte di Sciancato, a minor prince of forgotten Lucania, was said to have loved his wife more than his soul. When his beloved bride, Donna Lucrezia di Nerafiora, died in a tragic accident, he could not accept the will of fate. In his grief, he turned to ancient books and desperate learning, searching for a way to restore her to the world of the living. The attempt cost him his life. The ruins of his torre lie hidden, and when the earth trembles, some whisper he still searches for her.

Photo of the Week: Piping Faun, Vatican Museum

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

The Lute in Renaissance Italy at St. Josaphat's Oratory in Bayside, New York

A Gift of Poetry and Friendship

Michael Martin's Mythologies of the Wild
God, resting on the tanned hide of
a deer hunted by my father

I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to my dear friend, Cav. Charles Sant’Elia, who generously took the time to translate Michael Martin’s poem “The Huntsman,” from Mythologies of the Wild God (Angelico Press, 2024), into Neapolitan for me.

After reading my recent piece, Pilgrimage Postponed, in which I used an excerpt from the poem as an epigraph, Charles decided to offer this thoughtful gift. Knowing my passion for poetry and my disappointment at missing this year's trip to Napoli, he hoped the translation might lift my spirits.

It certainly did. Such gestures remind me that friendship, like poetry, can transcend distance and bring a little beauty into even our disappointments.

Grazie di cuore, caro amico!

~ Giovanni di Napoli

The Huntsman

By Michael Martin

Orion rises with the fall of the dark
For this is the season of the hunt
And when the moon is quite full
All the forest is washed white with her milk
And the crisp air kisses the skin
Delicate as a faerie's wing.
On such a night I venture out
On a quest of my imagining
In search of wonders or at the least for
The roar of the wind through the trees
The prayers of coyotes at their preying
A congregation at the sacrament of blood and bone.

Deep in the beech woods beyond the silent bog
I found a glade on the sleeping giant of
The moraine's back: a wide circle of bent grass
Of moss and of lichen, of oak leaves and of standing stones.
In the center stood a cross made from a young oak
Still green and rooted in the teeming earth
Whereupon hung a man transfixed and shimmering
His head that of an ancient and terrible stag
Antlers branching and twining, tines reaching through all Things
The dry leaves, the hedgerows, the gardens and the ponds
And at last to a place where elemental fires and stars sing
The greenness, the life and the dark, the light and the hearing
Of all that can be and ever shall be, forever. Amen.

‘O Cacciatore

Translated into Neapolitan by Cav. Charles Sant'Elia

Orione se sose quanno cade ‘o scuro,
Ca chest’è ‘a staggiona d’’a caccia
E quanno ‘a luna sta assaje chiena
Tutt’’o vuosco sta pittato c’’o latte sujo
E l’aria fresca vasa ‘a pella,
Dellicata comm’’a scella ‘e na fata.
A tale notte i’ ghiesco
Pe na cerca tutta d’’a mia mmaggenata
Truvanno a maraveglie o ammeno
‘O rùggito d’’o viento mmiez’a l’árvule
‘E prejarie d’’e lupe p’abbuscà ‘a preda
Na cungrega ‘o’ sacramiento ‘e sango e d’ossa.

Mpietto ‘o faìto nfì ‘o pantano zitto
Aggio truvato a na schiarata ncopp’’o gialante addurmuto
D’’e rocce: nu chirchio gruosso d’évera chiejata
‘E musco e lippo, ‘e fronn’’e cércola e prete all’erta,
Lloco mmiezo steva na croce fatta ‘e na cércola giòvene
Ancora verde e radecata int’’a terra a zeffunno
Addò steva n’ommo affatturato e lucenno
‘A capa soja era chella ‘e nu ciervo antico e terrìbbele
Corna spannénnose e ntrezzánnose, ‘e vrocche spontanno pe mmiez’a tuttecose
‘E fronne secche, ‘e sepale, ‘e giardine e ‘e padule
E po a finale a nu luoco addò fuoche elementare e stelle cántano
‘O verde, ‘a vita e ‘o scuro, ‘a luce e sentenno
Tutto chello ca pò éssere e ca maje sarrà, pe sempe, amen.

Remembering King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies

b. 14 August 1777 - d. 8 November 1830

In memory of King Francesco I of the Two Sicilies, we pray for the happy repose of his soul. Viva ‘o Rre!

Eternal rest grant unto His Majesty, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

Resumed Sixth Sunday After Epiphany at St. Michael's Church in Staten Island, New York

Call for Papers: International Conference on Medieval Studies

Feast of San Prosdocimo di Rieti

San Prosdocimo di Rieti,
ora pro nobis

November 7th is the Feast of St. Prosdocimus of Rieti, evangelizer and bishop. According to tradition, Prosdocimus was a disciple of St. Peter the Apostle who carried the Christian faith into central Italy during the first century A.D. He is credited with establishing the foundations of the Christian community of Rieti.

Little is known with certainty about his life, and the surviving accounts are drawn largely from traditions surrounding the earliest spread of Christianity in Italy. His name is also associated with Padua, where he is honored as the city’s first bishop. Evviva San Prosdocimo di Rieti!

In celebration of his feast, we offer this prayer:

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the example of St. Prosdocimus of Rieti may effectually move us to reform our lives; that while we celebrate his feast, we may also imitate his actions. Look upon our weakness, almighty God, and since the burden of our own deeds weighs heavily upon us, may the glorious intercession of St. Prosdocimus protect us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Catholic Movie Night at Atrium Stadium Cinemas in Staten Island, New York

Art Collecting on a Pauper’s Budget

Corrado Giaquinto's Magnanimity and Peace,
currently listed for auction at Sotheby’s

Every so often, I indulge in a little window shopping, browsing the websites of auction houses like Sotheby’s to see what works of art I might acquire if my bank account were considerably more accommodating. Alas, my taste in art has always exceeded my financial means.

Among the treasures that recently caught my eye are two paintings by the Molfettese Rococo master Corrado Giaquinto (1703–1766), Magnanimity and Peace, currently listed for auction at Sotheby’s. Both are beautiful examples of European allegorical painting I find so appealing. Bidding for both works closes on November 17, 2026.

While these masterpieces remain well beyond my reach, perhaps some of my more prosperous readers will find them worthy of consideration. As for me, I shall have to content myself with admiring them from afar. ~ Giovanni

New Book — Roman Copies, Collecting, and Culture in the Bay of Naples and Beyond: Papers in Honor of Eugene J. Dwyer

A new title that may be of interest to our readers. Available at Amazon.com

• Roman Copies, Collecting, and Culture in the Bay of Naples and Beyond: Papers in Honor of Eugene J. Dwyer by Sinclair W. Bell and Brad Hostetler

Publisher: Archaepress Archaeology
Pub. Date: October 22, 2026
Paperback: $49.00
Language: Bilingual English/Italian
Pages: 188

Read description

Click here to see more books

Listing does not imply endorsement

Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons Live at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in New York City

Tickets

Robed in Splendor – Mourning at the Hofkapelle

Posthumous portrait of Emperor Matthias painted by Hans von
Aachen in 1625, housed in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam

Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 7.30 P.M.

The Parish Church of St. Andrew
311 North Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103.

Free parking in the lot diagonally across from St. Andrew’s.

Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 4 P.M.
Orange County
Venue will be announced soon.

Musica Transalpina is proud to present the first known modern performance of an extraordinary Requiem Mass composed by Christoph Straus in October of 1621. Straus was chapel master to the notoriously incompetent Emperor Matthias, who showed a preference for the baroque musical styles emerging in Italy, and Christoph Straus was among the first to compose music for the Habsburg court in the elaborate new concertato style. When Emperor Matthias died in 1619, Straus was replaced by the much more fashionable Italian composers that the new emperor, Ferdinand II, brought with him from his home in Graz, whose court far outshone Vienna in splendor. Strauss was retained in a bureaucratic capacity in the Imperial household, so it is most likely––considering the month that this Requiem setting was composed––that it was intended for the All Souls’ Day observances held at the chapel royal on November 2, 1621.

This Requiem Mass is extraordinary for specifying distinctions between vocal and instrumental passages within each of the parts, which is remarkable considering the early date of its composition. It is composed in ten independent parts divided across two choirs, with voices alternating with instruments in order to create primitive obbligato passages, effectively doubling the scope of this work to twenty parts. Christoph Straus became chapel master at S. Stephen’s Cathedral in 1626, and died in 1631, the year that this setting was published by Christoph’s son, Matthias Straus.

For more information, visit: https://musicatransalpina.org/

Mistaken for My Celebrity Doppelgänger, Again

The other day, a lady on the street mistook me for Billy Joel. I told her I get that all the time, to which she replied, “Thank God, I didn’t want you to think I was flirting with you.” My initial amusement immediately gave way to crushing disappointment.

Having been mistaken for the Grammy Award-winning musician more times than I care to admit, I can recall two particularly memorable encounters.

The first occurred at a bar, where a tall blonde bought me a drink, convinced I was him. After I cleared up the misunderstanding, she stayed, and we enjoyed a few more drinks together.

Somehow, our conversation drifted from music and life to a rather peculiar revelation. She had a deep dent in her skull and, I kid you not, wanted me to put my finger in her divot. Needless to say, I retreated hastily.

The one time a man mistook me for Mr. Joel was on a subway platform. A Black fellow kept circling me, staring intently. Expecting the worst, I was getting ready to throw down.

After walking around me three times, he finally approached with a broad smile, extended his hand, and asked if I was Billy Joel.

Relieved, I shook his hand and jokingly replied, “No, we White guys all look alike.” He burst out laughing.

Personally, I always fancied myself a more rugged, better-looking version of Bruce Willis or Jason Statham, but who would have guessed the Piano Man was such a babe magnet?

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 4th, Feast of San Carlo Borromeo

Requiem Mass at St. Margaret's Church in the Bronx, New York

A Pilgrimage Postponed: Sant’Uberto and the Casina Vanvitelliana

Michael Martin's Mythologies of the Wild
God, resting on the tanned hide of
a deer hunted by my father

Orion rises with the fall of the dark
For this is the season of the hunt
And when the moon is quite full
All the forest is washed white with her milk
And the crisp air kisses the skin
Delicate as a faerie’s wing.
~ Michael Martin, “The Huntsman,” Mythologies of the Wild God

Knowing my devotion to Sant’Uberto di Liège and Sant’Eustachio, the patron saints of hunters, a friend had generously promised to take me to the magnificent Casina Vanvitelliana on November 3rd, the feast of Sant’Uberto. Built in 1782 by Carlo Vanvitelli at the behest of King Ferdinando IV di Borbone, this exquisite Rococo hunting lodge stands on a tiny islet in Lake Fusaro, near Bacoli, connected to the shore by a wooden bridge.

The visit was intended as a pilgrimage of sorts, an opportunity to honor the memory of my forefathers, who were avid hunters, and reflect upon a tradition that has long held both spiritual and ancestral significance for me. Alas, with my trip to Napoli canceled, this excursion, too, has been postponed.

Though I couldn't make the journey, I still devoted time to prayer and meditation, accompanied by Michael Martin’s Mythologies of the Wild God (Angelico Press, 2024), a collection of poetry I had originally packed for the trip. While the pilgrimage must wait, prayer, remembrance, and the obligations we owe our ancestors need not. Evviva Sant’Uberto!

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 3rd, Feast of Sant'Uberto di Liège