First Altar On Left
On the left side of the nave, the altarpiece above the first altar is an oil painting by Sebastiano Ricci (1659–1734), celebrating three of the most famous Dominicans, Pope Pius V, Thomas Aquinas, and St Peter Martyr. Above them are three angels, one carrying a palm.
It was the first work commissioned especially for the new building and was one of the last works of the artist, who died in 1734. It was painted in 1732–33.
There is a reproduction in the Web Gallery of Art under Ricci, Sebastiano entitled St Pius, Thomas of Aquinas & Peter Martyr
Pope Pius V (who had been canonised in 1712) was a dedicated opponent of Protestantism. It was he who, in 1570, purported to absolve the English subjects of Queen Elizabeth I from their allegiance. Ricci gives him an air of benevolence, though he was in fact an uncompromising enemy of those opposed to his church.
He greatly revered Thomas Aquinas (1226–74), who is the figure on the left, and had made him a Doctor of the Church. He is identified by the Sun on his breast and by the book, his Summa Theologica, which he carries in his right hand.
St Peter Martyr, on the right, was another uncompromising Dominican whose zeal had led to his assassination in 1252. He is more usually shown with the cleaver, with which he was killed, protruding from his head. Ricci, more elegantly, shows it lying on the ground in front of him.
Read more about this topic: Gesuati, Description, Paintings
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