The description of the work, which represents a series of Saints of the Franciscan Order, is provided by Canon Rodriguez, a Liparian intellectual of the late 19th century, who saw it in its original location on one of the side altars of the church of the Capuchins of Lipari. The Virgin is depicted in the act of handing the Child to St. Felix of Cantalice, at whose feet stands an angel with a lily and a saddlebag of bread, iconographic attributes of the saint.
Above, on the left and right respectively, stand the half-figures of St. Clare of Assisi and St. Anthony of Padua, who seem to be looking out to contemplate the scene.
Kneeling at the bottom is Blessed Lawrence of Brindisi with his hands joined on his chest, and standing next to him is Blessed Bernard of Corleone holding a bloody scourge in his right hand and a cross in his left.
The description of the work provided by Can. Rodriguez:
“In the same temple [of the Capuchins] other canvas exists there […] the work of Pittor Giuseppe priest Russo to the report of the same Father, a native of Barcelona of Sicily, who set out for time in Rome in order to appear painting, and consumed it seven years of study and the heads of art work tried to imitate, and made return to Palermo and Messina spent his life and in Melazzo, and in this my homeland, not that in all Sicily where not a few paintings worked there.
He after painted the fresco of the major dome of the Church of the Virgin of Grace, where there are 18 beautiful figures and where frank and flowing is the handling of colors, among which excel the transmarino […].
It depicts “The Virgin in the act of handing to St. Felix of Cantalice the infant Jesus,” at whose feet St. Lawrence of Brindisi is devoutly prostrate with his hands joined, on the two opposite sides of the canvas stand St. Clare and St. Anthony of Padua in half-figures. Below St. Felix a little angel is seen holding a lily in his left hand, and in his right a saddlebag full of bread. On the right side of the painting at the bottom remains B. Bernardo da Corleone tied his hands to his chest holding a bloody scourge in his right hand and a crown in his left.
Here in this painting many figures are of interest such as that of the Virgin of the Child by the Saint from Cantalice. Excellent there is the coloring, regular and pleasant the contours of all the figures. The appearance of Jesus beautiful and majestic, vivid the coloring of the face. In general two are dappoi the faults of this more than mediocre painter: […] that is, he is wont as the first in his paintings to break the unity of action with introducing of the figures, merely superlfue; […] and the faces of the figures do not always present that vividness.”
