The Crypt of the San Martino ai Monti Basilica in Rome

While in Rome, Josse Sébastien Van den Abeele made the acquaintance of the French painter François Marius Granet from Provence. At that time painters were in the habit of exchanging their work as a sign of friendship. This view of the crypt of a Romanesque church displays many of the features of Granet’s style, such as the depiction of sombre…

While in Rome, Josse Sébastien Van den Abeele made the acquaintance of the French painter François Marius Granet from Provence. At that time painters were in the habit of exchanging their work as a sign of friendship. This view of the crypt of a Romanesque church displays many of the features of Granet’s style, such as the depiction of sombre light and the decay and dampness of the old walls. It is still not certain whether this a work by Van den Abeele influenced by the French artist, or a canvas Granet gave to his friend from Ghent.