Church Triumphant over Falsehood
Medium
figures
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund
Accession Number
1938-88-6437
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Paolo de Matteis (2–1728), a prominent Italian Baroque artist from Naples, created *Church Triumphant over False* around 1700. Known for his dynamic compositions blending classical influences with dramatic religious themes, de Matteis drew from the Carracci school's naturalism and Caravaggio's tenebrism. This work classified as "figures" in the Smithsonian American Art's collection, likely represents sculptural models or bozzetti—preparatory clay or plaster studies common in Baroque workshops for larger commissions. The allegorical title evokes the Counter-Reformation era's fervor, where the ...