Feast of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola

Sant'Ignazio di Loyola, ora pro nobis

July 31 is the Feast of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola, priest, knight, mystic, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), and great protagonist of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. One of the 52 co-patrons of Naples, he is also the patron saint of soldiers and spiritual retreats.

 

In celebration we’re posting a prayer to St. Ignatius Loyola. Pictured is Sant’Ignazio di Loyola in Gloria by Mattia Preti. Evviva Sant’Ignazio di Loyola!

Prayer to St. Ignatius Loyola

O Glorious Patriarch, St. Ignatius, we humbly beseech you to obtain for us from God above all things, freedom from sin, the greatest of evils. May your example inflame our hearts with an efficacious glory to God and the good of our neighbor; and obtain from the loving Heart of Jesus, our Lord, the crown of all other graces, the gift of final perseverance, and eternal beatitude. Amen.

Portiuncula Indulgence for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels (August 2nd)

Our Lady of Angels, ora pro nobis

From noon of August 1st until midnight of August 2nd the faithful can gain a plenary indulgence applicable to themselves or the Souls in Purgatory under the usual conditions:

1. Be in the state of grace.
2. Confession (8 days before or after).
3. Holy Communion.
4. Prayers for the intention of the Pope (Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory be.)
5. And by visiting a cathedral, any parish church or a Franciscan church and there praying one Our Father and the Creed.

The Portiuncula is a small church located in a little town situated about three quarters of a mile from Assisi and is officially known as Santa Maria degli Angeli.

Source: The Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 W 37th St., NYC) July 26, 2020 bulletin

The accompanying photo of Our Lady of the Angels was taken at the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn before the 2017 renovation.

Photo of the Week: Ruin Lizard at Villa Rufolo in Ravello

Photo by New York Scugnizzo

Feast of San Leucio d’Alessandria

San Leucio d'Alessandria, ora pro nobis

In San Salvatore Telesino (BN), the last Sunday in July is the Feast of San Leucio d’Alessandria, First Bishop of Brindisi, Missionary and Wonderworker. It commemorates the Saint's miraculous intercession during the 1656 plague epidemic in the Kingdom of Naples. San Leucio's liturgical memorial is celebrated on January 11.

Highly revered throughout Southern Italy, San Leucio is the patron saint of Atessa (CH), Rocca di Mezzo (AQ), Villavallelonga (AQ), San Leucio del Sannio (BN), Pietracamela (TE), and San Salvatore Telesino (BN). He is invoked against plague, drought and demonic possession.

In 1773 the utopian colony of San Leucio in Caserta was founded and named after the great Saint by King Ferdinando IV of Bourbon.

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to St. Leucius courtesy of the San Leucio Society of Paterson, New Jersey. Pictured is the Saint’s statue in San Salvatore Telesino. Evviva San Leucio d’Alessandria!

Prayer to St. Leucius

Eternal Father, I wish to honor St. Leucius, and I give You thanks for all the graces You have bestowed upon him. I ask You to please increase grace in my soul through the merits of this saint, and I commit the end of my life to him by this special prayer, so that by virtue of Your goodness and promise, St. Leucius might be my advocate and provide whatever is needed at that hour. Amen.

Novena to San Ciriaco di Roma

San Ciriaco di Roma, ora pro nobis

Pray novena to San Ciriaco di Roma for nine consecutive days, July 30th – August 7th, in preparation for the Feast celebrated on August 8th.

O glorious St. Cyriacus, mighty exorcist and intercessor, powerful in the struggle against rebel spirits, servant of God, deliver us from all evil and danger, who turn to you with confidence and enable us by your gracious protection to serve God more and more faithfully every day.

Pray for us, O glorious St. Cyriacus, Martyr of the Church of Jesus Christ, that we may be made worthy of His promises.

Almighty and Everlasting God, Who, by a prodigy of goodness and a merciful desire for the salvation of all men, has glorified the most glorious Martyr and deacon St. Cyriacus, make us worthy, we ask You, to be delivered from all our enemies, that none of them may harass us at the hour of death, but that we may be conducted by him and your angels into Your Presence. This we ask through the merits of Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

* The accompanying photo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish in Boston, Massachusetts. Evviva San Ciriaco di Roma!

Novena to the Fourteen Holy Helpers

Fourteen Holy Helpers, orate pro nobis

For private devotion, I'm posting the Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers to be recited for nine consecutive days, July 30th – August 7th, in preparation for the Feast celebrated on August 8th.*

Preparatory Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great princes of heaven, Holy Helpers, who sacrificed to God all your earthly possessions, wealth, preferment, and even life, and who now are crowned in heaven in the secure enjoyment of eternal bliss and glory; have compassion on me, a poor sinner in this vale of tears, and obtain for me from God, for whom you gave up all things and who loves you as His servants, the strength to bear patiently all the trials of this life, to overcome all temptations, and to persevere in God's service to the end, that one day I too may be received into your company, to praise and glorify Him, the supreme Lord, whose beatific vision you enjoy, and whom you praise and glorify for ever. Amen.

Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, queen of martyrs, pray for us.
St. Joseph, helper in all needs, pray for us.
Fourteen Holy Helpers, pray for us.
St. George, valiant martyr of Christ, pray for us.
St. Blase, zealous bishop and benefactor of the poor, pray for us.
St. Erasmus, mighty protector of the oppressed, pray for us.
St. Pantaleon, miraculous exemplar of charity, pray for us.
St. Vitus, special protector of chastity, pray for us.
St. Christophorus, mighty intercessor in dangers, pray for us.
St. Dionysius, shining mirror of faith and confidence, pray for us.
St. Cyriacus, terror of hell, pray for us.
St. Achatius, helpful advocate in death, pray for us.
St. Eustachius, exemplar of patience in adversity, pray for us.
St. Giles, despiser of the world, pray for us.
St. Margaret, valiant champion of the Faith, pray for us.
St. Catherine, victorious defender of the Faith and of purity, pray for us.
St. Barbara, mighty patroness of the dying, pray for us.
All ye Holy Helpers, pray for us.
All ye saints of God, pray for us.
In temptations against faith, pray for us.
In adversity and trials, pray for us.
In anxiety and want, pray for us.
In every combat, pray for us.
In every temptation, pray for us.
In sickness, pray for us.
In all needs, pray for us.
In fear and terror, pray for us.
In dangers of salvation, pray for us.
In dangers of honor, pray for us.
In dangers of reputation, pray for us.
In dangers of property, pray for us.
In dangers by fire and water, pray for us.
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord!
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord!
From all sin, deliver us, O Lord.
From Thy wrath, deliver us, O Lord.
From the scourge of earthquake, deliver us, O Lord.
From plague, famine, and war, deliver us, O Lord.
From lightning and storms, deliver us, O Lord.
From a sudden and unprovided death, deliver us, O Lord.
From eternal damnation, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy birth and Thy life, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy cross and passion, deliver us, O Lord.
Through Thy death and burial, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the merits of Thy blessed Mother Mary, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the merits of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, deliver us, O Lord.
On the Day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord!
We sinners, beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou spare us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou pardon us, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou convert us to true penance, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou give and preserve the fruits of the earth, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou protect and propagate Thy holy Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou preserve peace and concord among the nations, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou give eternal rest to the souls of the departed, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou come to our aid through the intercession of the Holy Helpers, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. George Thou preserve us in the Faith, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Blase Thou confirm us in hope, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Erasmus Thou enkindle in us Thy holy love, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Pantaleon Thou give us charity for our neighbor, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Vitus Thou teach us the value of our soul, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Christophorus Thou preserve us from sin, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Dionysius Thou give us tranquillity of conscience, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Cyriacus Thou grant us resignation to Thy holy will, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Eustachius Thou give us patience in adversity, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Achatius Thou grant us a happy death, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Giles Thou grant us a merciful judgment, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Margaret Thou preserve us from hell, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Catherine Thou shorten our purgatory, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of St. Barbara Thou receive us in heaven, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That through the intercession of all the Holy Helpers Thou wilt grant our prayers, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.

V. Pray for us, ye Fourteen Holy Helpers.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ.

Let us Pray

Almighty and eternal God, who hast bestowed extraordinary graces and gifts on Thy saints George, Blase, Erasmus, Pantaleon, Vitus, Christophorus, Dionysius, Cyriacus, Eustachius, Achatius, Giles, Margaret, Catherine, and Barbara, and hast illustrated them by miracles; we beseech Thee to graciously hear the petitions of all who invoke their intercession. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who didst miraculously fortify the Fourteen Holy Helpers in the confession of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee, to imitate their fortitude in overcoming all temptations against it, and protect us through their intercession in all dangers of soul and body, so that we may serve Thee in purity of heart and chastity of body. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Invocation of the Holy Helpers

Fourteen Holy Helpers, who served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific vision in heaven; because you persevered till death you gained the crown of eternal life. Remember the dangers that surround us in this vale of tears, and intercede for us in all our needs and adversities. Amen.

Fourteen Holy Helpers, select friends of God, I honor you as mighty intercessors, and come with filial confidence to you in my needs, for the relief of which I have undertaken to make this novena. Help me by your intercession to placate God's wrath, which I have provoked by my sins, and aid me in amending my life and doing penance. Obtain for me the grace to serve God with a willing heart, to be resigned to His holy will, to be patient in adversity and to persevere unto the end, so that, having finished my earthly course, I may join you in heaven, there to praise for ever God, who is wonderful in His saints. Amen.

* For more on the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Project Gutenberg offers a free ebook, Mary, Help of Christians and the Fourteen Saints Invoked as Holy Helpers, compiled by Rev. Bonaventure, O.F.M. It has instructions, legends, novenas and prayers, with thoughts of the saints for every day of the year.

A Look at the 113th Annual Feast of Saint Ann in Hoboken, New Jersey (Part 2: Churches & Chapel)

Sant'Anna, ora pro nobis

St. Ann Church

The ornate high altar inside Saint Ann's Church

Statues of the Madonna Dei Martiri and San Rocco di Montpellier

(L-R) Stained glass windows of Santa Elisabetta, San Ludovico
XIV, Santa Teresa di Lisieux, and San Gennaro 

St. Francis Church

(L) Shrine to Sant'Anna. (R) Statue of Santa Rita

Statues of San Giovanni Battista and San Rocco

(L) Statue of the Madonna Dei Martiri.
(R) Stained glass window of San Giovanni Battista

Stained glass windows of San Giorgio and Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

(L) Detail of the ceiling depicting San Francesco d'Assisi's vision of the Crucified Christ. (R) Madonna della Libera, patroness of Rodi Garganico in Foggia

Santa Febronia Chapel

Societá di Mutuo Soccorso Santa Febronia Chapel on Fifth Street

Madonna di Tindari, ora pro nobis

Santa Febronia, ora pro nobis

Gesu Morto encased in glass beneath the altar 

The sanctuary

Feast of San Lupo di Troyes

San Lupo di Troyes, ora pro nobis

July 29th is the Feast of San Lupo di Troyes (c.383-c.478), monk, wonderworker and Bishop of Troyes. He is renowned for combating Pelagianism in Britain and saving Troyes from Attila the Hun. San Lupo di Troyes is the patron saint of San Lupo in Benevento. 

In celebration, we’re posting a prayer to San Lupo. The accompanying photo of the bust of San Lupo, courtesy of Anthony Scillia, was taken at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in the Marion section of Jersey City, New Jersey. Evviva San Lupo di Troyes!

Prayer to St. Lupus of Troyes

O Glorious St. Lupus of Troyes, Bishop and Confessor, you served God in humility and confidence on earth, now you enjoy His beatific vision in Heaven. Help me to strengthen my faith and protect me in conflict. Obtain for me the grace to live a holy life, so that one day I may join you in the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen

A Look at the 113th Annual Feast of Saint Ann in Hoboken, New Jersey (Part 1: The Procession)

After Mass, the Holy Name Society carried St. Ann out of the church

Father Remo Di Salvatore and His Excellency the Most Reverend
Arthur Joseph Serratelli enjoying the festivities

Departing St. Ann's Church, the procession
makes its way through the fairgrounds

Members of the St. Ann's Guild

Members of the Italian Apostolate of the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ

Our friends from the Madonna della Neve Society of Brooklyn, NY (& Steve)

Our buddy Jude with his mom and son

(Above & below) The procession wends its way through Hoboken

We stopped by Lisa's Italian Deli for cold water and watermelon

We enjoyed some delicious focaccia at the Madonna Dei Martiri clubhouse

Devotees erected shrines to St. Ann outside their homes and businesses

(L) Statue of Sant'Anna outside Failla Memorial Home.
(R) Donations are pinned on to the statue of San Giacomo

San Giacomo greets Sant'Anna outside the Monte San Giacomo clubhouse

We were treated to delicious roast beef and hot pepper sandwiches

San Giacomo joins the procession

(L) The Company Kafe generously offer participants watermelon. (R) Msgr. Paul Bochicchio blesses the participants outside St. Francis Church

The roisterous John Duke Band

After the procession, St. Ann is carried back into the church

San Giacomo and Sant'Anna are returned to the church sanctuary

Fr. Remo blessed us with the relic of Sant'Anna

Returning to the fairgrounds, we met up with some good friends
and enjoyed some of Lou's homemade wine

Feast of Santi Martiri Nazario and Celso

Santi Nazario e Celso, orate pro nobis

July 28th is the Feast of the Martyrs San Nazario and San Celso (Nazarius and Celsus), patron saints of Trivento (CB) in Molise and Frignano (CE) in Campania.

According to tradition, San Nazario was born in Rome to a well-to-do family; his father was a pagan (or Jewish) legionnaire and his mother was none other than St. Perpetua. Baptized by the future Pope St. Linus, he was a devout disciple of St. Peter.

Determined to spread the faith and save souls, San Nazario left the Eternal City and visited northern Italy and Gaul. Along his travels, young Celso was entrusted to Nazario and faithfully served as his assistant during his evangelizing mission.

Repeatedly running afoul with the pagan authorities, the companions were subjected to several tortures. Most famously, the two were to be drowned and cast overboard along the Ligurian coast. Instead of sinking, they miraculously stood up and walked on water. Suddenly a great storm whipped-up and the sailors begged Nazario and Celso to save them. Showing mercy to the would-be executioners, they safely sailed back to Genoa and continued their missionary work.

Nazario and Celso eventually went to their reward in Heaven during the reign of Emperor Nero. Around the year 56 they were beheaded for preaching in Milan. Centuries later, their uncorrupted bodies, including a vial of San Nazario’s blood, were discovered in a garden by St. Ambrose. Interred in the Basilica Apostolorum (eventually renamed San Nazaro in Brolo), St. Ambrose would later send relics of the saints to St. Paulinus in Nola, who greatly revered them.

In celebration, I’m posting a prayer to San Nazario and San Celso in Italian. The accompanying photo of St. Nazarius was taken at Saint Lucy’s Church in Newark, New Jersey. Evviva Santi Nazario e Celso!

Preghiera

A Santi Nazario e Celso

Gloriosissimi Martiri ed Apostoli di Gesù. Santi Nazario e Celso, che con animo invitto e singolare carità ci avete illuminato a conoscere il vero Dio e ci avete ammaestrato nella fede e nella religione di N. S. Gesù Cristo, fonte di vera civiltà e salvezza, venite in nostro aiuto e degnatevi di intercedere per noi. Ottenete ai pusillanimi vigoria di cristiana virtù e vivezza di fede, ai peccatori una vera contrizione delle loro colpe, ai giusti la finale perseveranza. Ascoltate le preghiere di chi ricorre al vostro valevole patrocinio e siate voi gli Angeli tutelari delle nostre famiglie. Deh fate, o invitti Martiri del Signore, che non venga meno nei nostri cuori la fede e l'amore a Gesù Cristo; che fermi ci manteniamo nel divino servizio e possiamo un giorno essere coronati con Voi nel S. Paradiso. Così sia.

Novena in Honor of the Transfiguration of Our Lord

Santissimo Salvatore, have mercy on us

Pray the novena in honor of the Transfiguration of Our Lord for nine consecutive days, July 28th to August 5th, in preparation for the Feast on August 6th.

First Day (July 28)

In the Transfiguration, heaven and earth meet, humanity and divinity, time and eternity. Give me the grace to see how powerful you are. You are master of the universe. If my prayer is not answered, it is not because you cannot do what I want but that you have a different and better plan for me. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Second Day (July 29)

The prophet Malachi promised that Elijah would return as a sign the Messiah had arrived. Elijah and Moses appeared with Christ in his Transfiguration. Open our eyes to see how you speak to us in history and throughout our lives. You always keep your promises. Help us learn to read the signs of the times. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Third Day (July 30)

Peter blurted out the first thing that came into his head, as we often do. Help me to keep a guard on my mouth: not to gossip or criticise, not to be hurtful or rude. Help me also to be careful if I tell other people how they should be living their lives. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Fourth Day (July 31)

Finally, Peter said, “Lord, it is good to be here”. Give me the grace to be with you and to be glad to be with you, trusting you with my life; to know I am not alone in life; that you love me and have a wonderful plan for me if I trust you. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Fifth Day (August 1)

At the Transfiguration, Jesus tried to prepare his disciples for the crucifixion. You tell us that if we want to follow you we should take up our cross; but we always hope that the cross will go away. Give me the courage to believe that you carry my cross with me and that it will not crush me. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Sixth Day (August 2)

In the Transfiguration there is a glimpse of your glory, a glimpse of your divine nature. Give me this grace: to see your power in my life and have a desire for holiness. Help me to believe I will not lose myself if I follow your teachings. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Seventh Day (August 3)

The disciples who saw your Transfiguration were terrified, but you told them to stand up and not to be afraid. Help me remember this. When life knocks me down and when I am afraid, help me to stand up and walk onward with you. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Eighth Day (August 4)

Moses and Elijah are living in the presence of Christ in the Transfiguration. All who face death with faith in you will live in your presence for ever. Help us not to fear death. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

Ninth Day (August 5)

As in eternal life I will see your glory, so at the resurrection of the dead I, too, will be glorified. This life is only a small part of my life in you. Help me to look forward in hope to heaven and to the resurrection of the dead. I ask you especially for [here name your intention]. Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory Be

* The accompanying photo of Santissimo Salvatore della Transfigurazione (Most Holy Savior of the Transfiguration), courtesy of Stephen La Rocca, was taken at St. Mary Magdalene dei Pazzi Church (712 Montrose St.) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Feast of San Pantaleone

San Pantaleone, ora pro nobis

July 27th is the Feast of San Pantaleone, Doctor, Miracle Worker and Martyr. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, he is the principal patron of Ravello (SA), Vallo della Lucania (SA), Serrata (RC), Papanice (KR), and Montauro (CZ), among others. According to tradition, the Christian physician was beheaded during the Diocletian persecutions in Nicomedia (c. 305), and that a woman collected his spilled blood. The ampulla containing the saint's coagulated blood reached Ravello in the eleventh-century after a storm at sea miraculously transported the Basilian monks safeguarding the phial from the East to the Amalfi Coast. It is believed the relic chose the town for shelter. In Celebration, I’m posting an ancient prayer to San Pantaleone. The accompanying photo of the Martyrdom of San Pantaleone (1638) by Gerolamo Imperiali was taken during my 2010 pilgrimage to beautiful Ravello and its fabulous Duomo. Evviva San Pantaleone!

Prayer to San Pantaleone 

O San Pantaleone di Ravello, protector and advocate, pray to our God that frees us from sins, hunger, plague, wars and great chastisements in this world; save us out of pity! Our fate be blessed to have you as a protector. Let us have a good death our always defender. Amen.

Among the Ruins and the Forest Passage

Roman Theater in Taormina by Louise-Joséphine Sarazin de Belmont
currently on view at the Morgan Library and Museum 

"It shows a healthy instinct that today’s youth is beginning to show new interest in religion. Even if the churches should prove themselves unable to cater to this instinct, the initiative is important because it creates a framework for comparisons. It reveals what was possible in the past, and hence what one may be justified in expecting from the future. What was possible is still recognizable today in only a single limited field, that of art history. Yet the futurists were at least right about one thing: that all the paintings, palaces, and museum cities mean nothing in comparison with the primal creative force. The mighty current that left all these creations in its wake like colorful seashells can never run dry—it continues to flow deep underground. If man looks into himself, he will rediscover it. And with that he will create points in the desert where oases become possible." ~ Ernst Jünger, The Forest Passage, Telos, 2013, p.64

Navigating the ruins of modernity we sometimes catch glimpses of perennial beauty amidst the decadence and squalor. In New York City, an effort must sometimes be made to reach these rapidly disappearing oases, but the reward is often edifying and invigorating. In fact, the experiences are usually heightened by the clashing and antithetical tumult surrounding them.

Sign promoting the Into the Woods
exhibition outside the Museum

Consider our recent venture to the Morgan Library and Museum in Midtown Manhattan to view the ongoing exhibits: Sketching Among the Ruins and Into the Woods: French Drawings and Photographs from the Karen B. Cohen Gift. A cultural refuge of relative peace and tranquility, the stark contrast between the museum and its modern urban surroundings quickly becomes evident when entering the galleries. The artwork on display evokes a long-forgotten world, seemingly alien to many of the current denizens of Gotham.

Located in the lower level gallery is Sketching Among the Ruins, a small collection of oil paintings by various landscape artists jointly given to the Morgan Library and Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2009 by Eugene V. Thaw, a trustee of both institutions. 

Focusing mainly on studies of the Roman Campagna and its many ruins, the highlight of the collection is clearly The Roman Theater in Taormina, Sicily (1825), by Louise-Joséphine Sarazin de Belmont (1790-1870). Oil on paper and mounted on board, the painting was executed during her travels through the Papal States and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies between 1824 to 1826.

Interestingly, she made a similar painting in 1828 with a more active Mount Etna and two Capuchin monks giving alms to a beggar. This version can be found in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Roman Theater in Taormina by Louise-Joséphine Sarazin de Belmont
at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Opposite the landscape sketches in a glass showcase on the wall is A Focus on the Figure: Selections from the Karen B. Cohen Gift. This assemblage of figurative drawings celebrates the 139 works (42 drawings, 95 photographs and two letters) generously given to the Morgan Library and Museum by Karen B. Cohen.

Among the works presented here is a chalk drawing of the Death of Alcestis (ca. 1814) by the renowned French painter Pierre-Narcisse Guérin (1774–1833). A hauntingly beautiful piece, it masterfully depicts the (once-)popular myth of the tragic death of Queen Alcestis, who willingly sacrificed her life in exchange for her husband’s (King Admetus of Thessaly). In the ancient Hellenic world, she came to personify the feminine virtues of selflessness, loyalty and devotion.

Portrait of Mrs. J.P. Morgan, Jr.
by John Singer Sargent

Between the two installations hangs a Portrait of Mrs. J.P. Morgan, Jr. (nee Jane “Jessie” Norton Grew, 1868-1925) by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). The painting is flanked by bronze busts of Anne Morgan (1873-1952), the youngest of J.P. Morgan’s four children, by Malvina Hoffman (1885-1966); and Reverend William Stephen Rainsford (1850-1933), rector of St. George Church in New York City from 1883 to 1906, by Daniel Chester French (1850-1931).

On the second floor, in the Engelhard Gallery, we viewed Into the Woods: French Drawings and Photographs from the Karen B. Cohen Gift, a selection of over fifty works on paper depicting rural landscapes and their inhabitants.

Losing ourselves in the woods, metaphorically speaking, we circled the gallery several times, returning to the most interesting pieces and marveling at the evocative beauty of a bygone age. My favorites were Moonlit Landscape (1862) by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875), Study for Forest of Fontainebleau: Hunters (ca. 1866) by Paul Huet (1803-1869), and Fisherwoman Holding Nets (ca. 1865-75) by Jules Breton (18227-1906).

Fisherwoman Holding Nets by Jules 
Breton, p. 11 of the exhibit brochure

While scrolling through the digitized sketchbook of Charles François Daubigny (1817-1878), which focused on the newly expanded railway that brought 19th-century landscape artists from Paris to the wilds of Fontainebleau Forest seeking unexplored sceneries and agrarian laborers, it suddenly dawned on me that I haven’t taken a proper holiday this year and that Central and Prospect Parks aren’t cutting it lately. I need to pack my sketchpad and set off on a verdant excursion posthaste! 

No visit would be complete without seeing the interior of J. Pierpont Morgan’s stately library and study. Filled with priceless literary works, musical manuscripts, and works of art, the jewels of the collection are the illuminated manuscripts, among which are the Crusader Bible (1240s), Farnese Hours (1546), and Glazier Codex, a 5th century Coptic manuscript containing the first half of the Acts of the Apostles.

Though currently not on view, the library’s collection of Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and letters from Naples will certainly be of interest to many of our readers. In a cursory search online I found: Fasciculus temporum (ca. 1498); In laudem neapolitane civitatis (ca. 1480); Psalter, prayerbook of Ferdinand I of Aragon (late 15th century); and De sphaera Mundi (last quarter of the 15th century); among many others.

Also in the archives can be found drawings from a veritable who’s who of celebrated artists from the Kingdom of Naples, such as Francesco Solimena, Luca Giordano, Mattia Preti, Francesco de Mura, Andrea Vaccaro, Aniello Falcone, Paolo De Matteis, Salvator Rosa, Massimo Stanzioni, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and Giacinto Gigante.

J.P. Morgan's Library (photo from previous visit)

What’s more, they have a bronze Hellenistic sculpture of Eros holding a torch (second or first century BC), unearthed from a Roman villa at Boscoreale, Naples, and a bronze bust of Alfonso II d’Avalos (1502-1546), Marquis of Pescara and Vasto, by Annibale Fontana (1540-1587).

Running Eros with Torch
(photo from previous visit)

The fact that so many of our ancestral treasures are at our fingertips and readily available for study and research mere miles away is utterly mind-boggling. Alluding to the malicious vandalization of the Archivio di Stato di Napoli by the retreating Germans in late September 1943, a friend pointed out, in a strange twist of fate many of these Neapolitan masterpieces probably survive today because the preeminent American financier and collector J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) accumulated them before the massive destruction of WWII.

Another quick search and I discovered that the Fascículos temporum was acquired at the Aldenham Library sale in London, at Sotheby’s on March 1937; In laudem neapolitane civitatis with the Aragonese library was brought to Spain in 1550 by Ferdinand of Aragon, Duke of Calabria; and the De sphaera Mundi was purchased in July 1910 from Alexandre Imbert (1865-1943), a French antiquarian (born in Naples and based in Rome) who devoted most of his time between 1907-1912 helping J.P. Morgan build his prodigious collection.

I’m not sure if any of these items were once part of the State Archives of Naples, but even if one historical document or drawing was rescued from that spiteful act of barbarity it was a blessing.

 

Sign promoting the Ferdinand Hodler
exhibition outside the museum

Needless to say, art institutions (like all others) are not free from modern decadence, the pernicious long march through them was implacable. Unfortunately, for every Sketching Among the Ruins and Into the Woods, there is a Ferdinand Hodler and Bridget Riley exhibit. It could be these are just reminders that there is no beauty without ugliness or perhaps there’s just no accounting for taste, but I’m inclined to think there is something more insidious behind them. Otherwise, the cultural upheaval we are witnessing in the arts would be inexplicable. 

Maybe it’s just me, but considering J.P. Morgan never collected modern art and there is an enormous amount of unseen treasures kept in storage, I would like to see more of the great bibliophile’s wondrous collection put on display. After all, there is no shortage of museums and galleries in the city to see modern art—heck, just look at every defaced building. This is not to say they shouldn’t have any visiting exhibits, after all, I absolutely loved the Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth exhibit back in 2019, I just think the installations should just better reflect J.P. Morgan’s grand vision.

Before leaving I grabbed a free Into the
Woods brochure as a keepsake and
bought a handful of postcards from
the gift shop for my collection

Until the progressive rot that poisoned the art world is reversed, I’ll take whatever I can get. These types of exhibitions can still be invaluable connections to our past, with the caveat that you separate them from the modern adulterations surrounding them. For me, they not only serve as a brief escape from the modern world, they are a tangible link to our pre-modern culture, which as an anti-modern is crucial to passing on a healthier and saner worldview to future generations. They should be encouraged and supported whenever possible.

Worth scheduling a visit, Into the Woods: French Drawings and Photographs from the Karen B. Cohen Gift runs till October 22, 2023, and Sketching among the Ruins runs till November 12, 2023.

~ Giovanni di Napoli, July 26th, Feast of Sant'Anna

Upcoming exhibitions:

• Seeds of Knowledge: Early Modern Illustrated Herbals — October 6, 2023 through January 14, 2024

• Morgan's Bibles: Splendor in Scripture — October 20, 2023 through January 21, 2024

• Spirit and Invention: Drawings by Giambattista and Domenico Tiepolo — October 27, 2023 through January 28, 2024

• Medieval Money, Merchants, and Morality — November 10, 2023 through March 10, 2024