Italian school (XVII) - Dulcedine Capit – Großformatiges Barockfresko mit Sirene

Large-format Baroque Strappo fresco “DULCEDINE CAPIT” – Italy, 17th century

Exceptional large-format fragment of an Italian wall painting with an allegorical depiction within a richly ornamented Baroque cartouche.

In the center appears a mermaid as a singing female chimera, surrounded by water and an expansive coastal landscape with a sailing ship. The scene is accompanied by the Latin inscription “DULCEDINE CAPIT” – roughly: “Softness entrains” (or “By sweetness she is captured”).

The fusion of image and Latin motto reflects the tradition of emblematic art, which in the 17th century played a significant role in furnishing representative and sacred spaces. The mermaid embodies the seductive power of beauty and melody: attraction and danger are fused in a single image.

The fresco belongs to a preserved group of three stylistically and conceptually related wall paintings. Another fragment shows a volcanic landscape with the motto “PLUS INTUS QUAM FORIS” (more within than outside), and a third depicts a tree and a mirror with “IN ME IPSO SE FALLIT.” The recurring combination of landscape, allegorical motif, ornamental cartouche, and Latin maxim points to an originally connected emblematic image cycle.

According to traditional reports, the fragments originate from Southern Italy or the Naples area and were said to belong to a former monastic context. Since the original architectural provenance can no longer be documented today, this provenance should be understood as traditional rather than as a firmly established attribution.

The wall painting was presumably removed from its original wall by the Strappo method around the mid-20th century to preserve it. Later, conservation and stabilization measures were carried out.

Today the fresco is mounted on a 3 mm-thick aluminum Dibond panel and reinforced at the back with a sturdy wooden framework. This allows the large-format historic wall fragment to be presented as an autonomous work of art.

The historic surface with patina, abrasions, and gaps has been deliberately left visible. A larger loss in the lower right area is clearly visible in the photographs. It belongs to the reported fragmentary condition of the work and was not illusionistically restored.

With its approx. 200 × 138 cm, the fresco possesses an extraordinary spatial presence. The preserved historic surface, the monumental Baroque cartouche, and the unusual emblematic depiction make it a striking testament to Italian wall painting history.

Italy, 17th century
Baroque
Strappo / removed wall painting
Unsigned
Dimensions: approx. 200 × 138 cm

The interior photograph shown is a visualization and serves solely to illustrate the size and effect of the fresco in a spatial context.