The Enchanting Artist-Apostle of St. Joseph
One cannot help but be captivated by the pristine beauty of Modesto Faustini’s frescoes of the Holy Family in the Basilica of the Holy House (Loreto, Italy). They are absolutely delightful scenes of Jesus’ early life that display a delicacy and realism that make us feel we are participants in the actions and interactions of that blessed Family.
He painted them from 1886-90, and they are considered his best works. His focus on St. Joseph is not only a very Italian trait (the Italians love their San Giuseppe!) but it also fits the theme of the setting entirely. The Basilica holds the remnants of the Holy House that was Joseph’s home.
Ah, to be a visitor in that home! Only in heaven will we really learn the silent history of the Holy Family for those long years before Jesus began His public ministry.
As the son of a carpenter, maybe Faustini (1839 - 1891) had some blessed insight into Joseph’s vocation. Faustini was tragically orphaned at the age of ten and was destined to become a carpenter himself until the director of the orphanage saw the extraordinary design talent the child exhibited during art classes. The director then placed him in an art school so that he could develop that talent.
How often the insights and humble good will of others change young lives and leave a huge impact on the world. That is certainly the case with Faustini.
His artistic talent and his eye for the religious scene is undisputed. And although he is not well-known today, thankfully, he has left us his St. Joseph masterpieces to contemplate the sacred mystery of the Holy Family’s life that inspires us to strengthen our own commitments to family – a blessing that literally holds the world together.
[Images by Sailko, Santuario della Santa Casa (Loreto), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia.]
To see the full images and other Faustini works, please consult the Wikipedia entry.
My first time seeing...so grateful Peter