Main description (English)

This study examines the subject matter and iconography of the paintings added in 1624 to the side aisles of San Crisogono as part of the second campaign of restorations promoted by Scipione Borghese, titular cardi- nal of the basilica. Conceived as altarpieces, albeit without Eucharistic tables, and and alsways described as such, the paintings celebrate the saints according to Catholic orthodoxy as prescribed in the Council of Trent – be they martyrs, protectors of the Order, newly canonized saints, or protector angels. The paintings’ realization under the direction of Giuseppe Cesari, the Cavalier d’Arpino, was entrusted to artists closely connected to the entourage of the Borghese family, chosen among those considered most suitable to express, in the style of late Mannerism, the rigor of thought underlying the doctrine.