Andrea Ravo Mattoni is an Italian artist born in Varese in 1981, who likes to transpose paintings onto large blank walls. It’s somewhat normal because the whole family is linked to the world of art. His father, Carlo Mattoni, was an art artist, illustrator and graphic designer, his uncle Alberto, known as Matal, was an illustrator and his grandfather Giovanni Italo was a painter.
He offers us his adaptation of a painting by François-André Vincent (1746 – 1816), “Bélisaire” from 1776. Considered the head of the neoclassical school and precursor of Romanism, he is representative of the transformation of French painting between 1770 and 1815 and he is compared as the worthy rival of David, then supplanted by the latter, he affirms his originality in his early interest in the subjects of ancient history and even more in those of French history.
Belisarius (or Flavius Belisarius) is considered the last great Roman general. He contributed greatly to the reconquests of the Eastern Roman Empire desired by Emperor Justinian, under whose reign he spent most of his career. Here, reduced to begging, he is rescued by an officer of the troops of Emperor Justinian (photos August 2019)