Piccinelli Loverini heirs; private collection, Bergamo.

V. Bignami, The Carrara Academy. Historical notes and reminiscences of an ancient pupil. Bergamo, 1897, p. 107; L. Barroero, Coghetti, Francesco in Biographical Dictionary of Italians, Rome, 1982, vol. 26.

Published by Vespasiano Bignami, the cartoon is part of an apical moment in Francesco Coghetti's career, namely when he was called for the second time after twenty years, i.e. in 1853, to fresco the dome of the cathedral of Bergamo (Aa. Vv., Francesco Coghetti and the vault of the cathedral of Bergamo. An artist for the city, 1833-1853, Cinisello Balsamo, 2021).The result was such that a volume was published for the occasion, signed by Giovanni Finazzi who praised the work, considered a masterpiece by the critics: "And, having removed the grandiose work of this dome of ours, it can well be said that he worked there manly, and with such proofs of genius and mastery, which, I won't say, but posterity will say worthy of the Carraccis, Correggios and Domenichinis" (G. Finazzi, The dome of the Bergamo cathedral painted in fresco by Cav. Prof. Francesco Coghetti, Bergamo, 1853, p. 6).This carton, which goes well with the other specimens now kept in a space dedicated to the parish of Villongo San Filastro, focuses on a series of saints who accompany the main theme, namely the Glory of Sant'Alessandro; more or less well-known saints, more or less local: Saint Lucia flanked by San Donno, all of whom are mentioned in Finazzi's publication.We know that Coghetti, who became Roman starting from 1821, when he entered the circle of Camuccini, found himself working in Bergamo in these years with a now consolidated position and, probably thanks to his appointment even as an academic of merit at S. Luca in Rome, he found himself in his own Bergamo context as a winner, and that is why he was called to fresco the prestigious dome. Liliana Barroero writes about it: "In the meantime Coghetti had moved again to Bergamo, where in various stays he redid, between 1851 and 1853, the decoration of the dome of the cathedral (Gloria di S. Alessandro) and executed, for the chapel Scotti of the parish church of Oreno in Brianza, an Assumption (the cartoon is kept in the Carrara Academy of Bergamo) and for the parish church of Adrara San Martino, in the Bergamo area, the Saints Fermo and Rustico (L. Barroero, Coghetti, Francesco in Biographical Dictionary of Italians, Rome, 1982, vol. 26).The magnificent cartoon demonstrates the qualities of Coghetti, capable of interpreting purism according to the most fashionable canons at the Accademia di San Luca in the mid-nineteenth century, and makes it a capital testimony of his mastery lasted until 1873.