''Noli Me Tangere'' is a large sculptural arrangement that forms part of the Alaleona Chapel in the church of
Santi Domenico e Sisto, in Rome.
The architecutal outline of the chapel was designed by the Italian artist
Gianlorenzo Bernini
Gian Lorenzo (or Gianlorenzo) Bernini (, , ; Italian Giovanni Lorenzo; 7 December 159828 November 1680) was an Italian sculptor and architect. While a major figure in the world of architecture, he was more prominently the leading sculptor of his ...
. The sculpture, which shows
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
responding to
Mary Magdalene with the words '''Do not touch me''
' upon her recognition of him following the Resurrection, was also designed by Bernini and carried out by his pupil Antonio Raggi
Antonio Raggi (1624–1686), also called ''Antonio Lombardo'', was a sculptor of the Roman Baroque, originating from today's Ticino.
Biography
He was born in Vico Morcote on the Lake Lugano. His mentor in Rome for nearly three decades was Gian ...
, probably from 1649 to 1652.
Preparatory Work
A
wash drawing exists in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, that shows the overall design, although it appears that Raggi made some changes to the sculptural group.
Patronage
The chapel was commissioned by Sister Maria Eleonora Alaleona. It is suspected that it was commissioned as an act of penitence for the behaviour of an unnamed relative of hers in 1636 - a nun who had tried to smuggle a lover into her convent only for the lover to suffocate to death in the chest he was hiding in. The donation made was 3,000 Roman scudi (around US$120,000 in contemporary costs.)
[Mormando, p.xvii. This calculation is based on Mormando's assertion that 25,000 scudi is equivalent to 1million US$ in today's money.]
See also
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List of works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
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External links
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{{Gian Lorenzo Bernini
1640s sculptures
1650s sculptures
Marble sculptures in Italy
Sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Statues of Jesus
Statues depicting Mary Magdalene