Painting of Daniel in the lion's den, oil on canvas, 17th century.

Oil painting on canvas. The biblical episode depicted refers to the story of Daniel, the prophet at the court of King Darius the Mede, who was condemned to be thrown into the lions' den for praying to his God. But God saved Daniel by sending an angel to close the mouths of the beasts, and the king pardoned Daniel, condemning in his place those who had denounced him. The subject has been represented several times in art, due to the fascination with the story but also for its exotic flavour stemming from the presence of wild beasts; in particular, one remembers Rubens' version from 1615, where the prophet is depicted naked in the underground pit, praying fervently, surrounded by a crowd of fierce lions. The work presented here, on the other hand, offers a version focused on the dialogue between the prophet and the angel, who face each other, standing out with the bright colours of their robes against the dark background of a prison; there is only one lion, crouched docilely at the feet of the angel, and the spiritual and salvific dimension of the biblical event prevails. According to the famous art historian Maurizio Marini, a specialist in Caravaggio painting and Baroque art, who had the opportunity to see the painting years ago, the work could be attributed to Antonio Maria Vassallo (1620-1664) for its compositional and chromatic choices. The painting, restored and re-canvas, is presented with a frame with a fillet.