Italian school of the last third of the 17th century. Circle of PIER FRANCESCO MOLA (Coldrerio, 1612-Rome, 1666). "Saint Anthony Abbot in prayer". Oil on canvas. Re-tinted. Provenance: Christie s. Richard L.Feigen and Co. Size: 33 x 41 cm; 45 x 54 cm (frame). The first thing that is striking in this oil painting is the subordination of the biblical theme to the majesty of the landscape. In this we can see the direct influence of Pier Francesco Mola, whose religious or mythological motifs were almost excuses for his sublime depiction of nature. Here, the solitary figure of Saint Anthony Abbot, withdrawn in prayer, with the Gospels open on his lap, is both integrated into and minimised by the magnificent landscape whose rugged terrain has been chiselled with twilight. The craggy rocks are silhouetted against a sky of cobalt intensity. The white of the habit worn by Saint Anthony shimmers amidst the tonal proliferation of earthy tones that sow the forest glade. Next to him, a pond absorbs and dilutes the light of the sky. Francesco Mola s style was loose, with a highly naturalistic palette, and a manifest interest in exploring the possibilities of landscape. Mola rebelled against the prevailing classicism of high theoretical conceptualisation typical of many contemporary Roman painters. The painting he depicted is very close to his spirit and his area of influence. Pier Francesco Mola was an Italian Baroque painter, trained first with the Mannerist Cavalier D Arpino (Giuseppe Cesari) and later with Francesco Albani. His masterpiece is the frescoes in the Gallery of Alexander VII in the Palazzo del Quirinal (Joseph is recognised by his brothers, 1657). He was elected prince of the Accademia di San Luca, the Roman painters guild, in 1662, but in his last years he was scarcely prolific. One of his pupils was Antonio Gherardi.