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Michael George Brennan , Irish, 1839-1871

Title

In the Church of San Costanzo, Capri

Date1866

MediumOil on canvas

Dimensions

74 x 60 cm

Signedlower left: M.G. Brennan Capri '66

Credit LinePurchased, 1873

Object numberNGI.155

ProvenancePurchased, Christie's, London, 1873Exhibition HistoryIerse schilders der 19e en 20e eeuw, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1951
Label TextFollowing a lengthy stay in Rome, Brennan moved on medical advice to Capri, where he continued to paint and display an appetite for local subjects. By the second half of the nineteenth century, Capri had become a relatively popular retreat for artists. Here, an old church provides respite from the searing summer heat and an opportunity for prayer. The inclusion of ‘stages of life’ - children, a young mother and an elderly woman - was a leitmotif in Naturalist and Realist painting throughout Europe.