In the Cathedral of St Andrew the Apostle (Sant’Andrea Apostolo) in Veroli, on the altar of the Nocchiaroli family chapel, there is a painting entitled ‘The Martyrdom of St Bartholomew’ by Tadeusz Kuntze, the most outstanding painter associated with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 18th century.

Tadeusz Kuntze – a brief biography
The artist was born in Zielona Góra, in Silesia, which at that time lay within the borders of the Habsburg Monarchy. Between 1747 and 1756, he studied in Rome at the expense of Andrzej Stanisław Kostka Załuski, Bishop of Kraków, and from at least 1753 onwards he painted works commissioned by him. In 1756 or 1757, he arrived in Kraków, where he carried out further commissions for his patron. Following the patron’s death in 1759, he returned to Italy. Although he never visited the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth again, he continued to create works for Polish churches, including the cathedral in Łuck (now in Ukraine), where, to this day, two of his monumental canvases can be admired in the transept altars: ‘The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ and ‘The Seven Archangels’.

Tadeusz Kuntze and his work in Italy
From the early 1760s, Tadeusz Kuntze remained in the service of the Italian Augustinians. On several artistic projects undertaken by the order, including those in Bracciano and Soriano nel Cimino, he collaborated with the architect Nicola Fagioli, who, prior to 1764, had undertaken the task of extending the episcopal seminary in Veroli. It is believed that it was thanks to Fagioli’s recommendation that the painter secured wealthy patrons from this charming little town, situated 100 km south-east of Rome. Among them was Nicola Nocchiaroli, a diplomat and adviser to Empress Maria Theresa. Together with his brother Giovanni Battista, an apostolic protonotary (mitred prelate), they assumed patronage of the Chapel of St Bartholomew in 1734. It was built in 1690 in the left aisle of Veroli Cathedral.

The Chapel of St Bartholomew in Veroli Cathedral and its furnishings
In 1765, Nicola Nocchiaroli resolved to turn it into a family mausoleum, so he commissioned a design for its reconstruction from Domenico Schiera, a prominent architect working in Lazio. Following Nicola Nocchiaroli’s untimely death, his daughter Francesca, together with her husband Evangelista Torti, oversaw the completion of the work.

The chapel, covered by a flattened dome supported by pendentives, was adorned with elegant stucco decoration by Pietro Giacomo De Marchi. The side walls feature the epitaph plaques of Nicola and Giovanni Battista Nocchiaroli, crowned with their oval relief portraits.

The altar features a painting depicting a scene from the martyrdom of its patron saint. The canvas is unsigned, but there is no doubt that it was painted by Tadeusz Kuntze. This is confirmed by two documents from the Nocchiaroli family archive, held at the Biblioteca Giovardiana in Veroli. The first of these is a letter from the painter addressed to Cardinal Carlo Rezzonica, who served as the Camerlengo, or administrator of the Holy See’s estates. His remit included – through the Commissioner for Antiquities and Fine Arts (commisario alle antichità e belle arti) appointed by him and the officials (assessori) – to consider applications for permission to export works of art from Rome and to assess their market value, on the basis of which the amount of tax the applicant was required to pay was determined.

Kuntze applied to the Cardinal for permission to export the painting ‘The Martyrdom of St Bartholomew’, measuring approximately 11 and a half by 6 and a half fathoms, intended for the cathedral in Veroli. An official annotation dated 22 November 1767 was added to the letter, stating that Assessor Stefano Pozzi had examined the painting, confirmed Kuntze’s authorship and estimated its value at 60 scudi. The second of the documents mentioned is a receipt dated 20 December 1767 for the sum of 50 scudi, paid to Kuntz by Francesca Nocchiaroli. This would suggest that he had to pay tax on an amount higher than the remuneration he received. Both documents, which are among the few known autographs by the painter, confirm that he used the Italianised form of his first name and surname: Taddeo Cunze.

‘The Martyrdom of St Bartholomew’ by Tadeusz Kuntzey

The painting from Veroli Cathedral depicts one of the most harrowing scenes of martyrdom in Christian iconography. According to tradition, St Bartholomew, a disciple of Jesus and evangeliser of Armenia, was condemned by the king’s brother to be flayed alive and crucified upside down for having converted the king of that land to Christianity. Kuntze depicted the beginning of the torture.

The apostle is stretched out on a beam leaning diagonally against a tree trunk, to which his raised hands have been tied. Two executioners are binding his legs, whilst a third is cutting his skin along his right forearm with a knife. Absorbed in their tasks, they do not notice, in the upper part of the painting against the backdrop of the heavens, Mary with the Infant Jesus in her arms, holding a crown above the saint’s head. He gazes at the divine figures with adoration, oblivious to the pain being inflicted upon him.

The body of St Bartholomew forms a diagonal line that lends dynamism to the composition. Half-naked, with a white sash around his hips, he stands out against the backdrop of the executioners with their swarthy complexions and dark clothing. A dark-brown robe and an open book, strewn haphazardly in the lower part of the composition, serve to enhance the illusion of depth. The sky above the scene of the martyrdom is veiled by leaden clouds. Only in the upper left-hand corner of the painting does a supernatural light break through, illuminating the figure of Mary in a pale pink dress and a blue cloak.

Other works by Tadeusz Kuntzy in Veroli

In addition to ‘The Martyrdom of St Bartholomew’, Veroli Cathedral housed another altarpiece by Tadeusz Kuntze: ‘St John the Baptist with his Disciples’, which was stolen in 1989 and cut into pieces.

The upper, semicircular section of the canvas, featuring angelic putti, has been returned to Veroli; it was found on the estate of a certain mafioso and is currently kept in the cathedral sacristy. Unfortunately, it is not known who commissioned this work, nor exactly when it was created. During restoration work carried out in 1961, the signature ‘T. Kuntze’ was discovered. The artist signed the sketch for the painting in the same way; this sketch is now in the possession of a private collector.