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Antonio Moscheni (Stezzano, 16 January 1854 –Kochi, 15 November 1905) was aJesuit brother and painter, known best for his elaborate fresco decoration of the church ofSt. Aloysius College,Mangalore, India.
Moscheni was born inStezzano,Province of Bergamo,Italy. His artistic talent was discovered early, and he was sent to study painting at theAccademia Carrara inBergamo. He then went toRome to study the masterpieces of theVatican.Fresco painting now became his passion and several of his works can be found in churches of the Bergamo area. In 1889, at the age of 35, Moscheni renounced the prospect of a worldly career, and joined theSociety of Jesus. After the usual two years ofnovitiate, his superiors noted his talent, and he was sent to decorate churches inCroatia,Albania as well as in his native country. In 1898, Moscheni was assigned toIndia, and sent to Mangalore with the specific mission of painting the Chapel of St. Aloysius College, recently founded by the Italian Jesuits.
In an elaborate style recalling thebaroque, Moscheni covered walls, ceilings and pillars with framed, vivid tableaux on the life of StAloysius Gonzaga (the patronsaint of the college), other Jesuitmissionaries, saints andmartyrs, the mysteries of theChristian faith (theTrinity,Christ and his Mother), glories of other religious orders, etc. It took him a little over two years to complete the work.
Besides the chapel he painted also frescoes in the Jesuit refectory: scenes evocative ofIgnatius of Loyola's early years and the foundation of the Society of Jesus. Less known but strikingly unusual, he depicted theHindu goddess of Knowledge,Saraswati, on the college stage fittings. The coat of arms, painted above the stage, is embellished with Sanskrit phrase:Satyam eva Jayate.
The original intention of his religious superiors was to call Moscheni back to Europe after completing theSt Aloysius College work, but his fame had spread in India and requests came that could not be ignored. The chapel of theKankanady hospital, theChurch of Most Holy Saviour, Agrar nearBantwal (25 km from Mangalore), the Mangalore seminary, the Holy Name cathedral ofBombay were next to benefit from his talent, but nowhere is the experience as total and wholesome as it is in St Aloysius chapel of Mangalore. Thebishop of Cochin called him in 1905. Moscheni had hardly completed the work in the sanctuary of theCochin cathedral when he fell sick: a case of acutedysentery that ultimately proved fatal. He died on 15 November 1905 inCochin,Kerala, and was buried in the Jesuitcemetery there.
The Saint Aloysius Chapel is a unique example of Italian art in India. It attracts thousands of visitors every year. TheIndian postal department chose to depict one of the chapel's paintings by Antonio Moscheni in 2001 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the College's foundation.
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