Lelio Orsi, Saint Miguel subduing Satan and weighing the Souls of the Dead
Lelio Orsi (1508/1511 - 1587) was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Reggio Emilia school. He was born and died inNovellara, and much of his work was completed in Reggio. He appears to have studied under such as Giovanni Giarola, a pupil of Antonio da Correggio. There is documentary evidence that he visited Rome in 1554-55, and may have been influenced by Girolamo Bedoli, Correggio and the prototypic mannerists Giulio Romano as well as Michelangelo and his successor Daniele da Volterra. He is said to have trained Raffaellino da Reggio. He was active in both exterior and interior decoration, and much of his work is in small cabinet pieces, not large altarpieces. Much of his output ended in the collections of the dukes of Este in Ferrara.
Orsi appears to be “reading” Correggio with the lens of Mannerist, the nocturnal, limned ethereal simplicity of Corregio here is constrained into contorted poses, perspective distorted, and settings crowded. The effect at times is unsettling. While the angels above unsheating divine swords are meant to carry the day, in The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine it appears that the execution was stymied by the breakdown of floors and gears.