The Genius of Salvator Rosa

The Genius of Salvator Rosa

Salvator RosaWW-1657-124265
1657·Etching and drypoint on ivory laid paper·Plate: 46 × 27.5 cm (18 1/8 × 10 7/8 in.); Sheet: 58 × 43.6 cm (22 7/8 × 17 3/16 in.)

<p>A bizarre and brilliant artist, Salvator Rosa was also known as an eccentric and extraordinary personality in the Baroque era, a persona embodied in <em>The Genius of Salvator Rosa</em>. The inscription reads “Sincere, free, fiery painter and equable, despiser of wealth and death, this is my genius, Salvator Rosa,” while the trumpeting cherub and prominent figure of Fame especially underscore his ambitions as a painter of profound allegories and histories. Finally, the crumpled music pages and grass growing over a sculpture reveal his admission that there is a possibility of failure.</p>

Catalogue

Year
1657
Dimensions
Plate: 46 × 27.5 cm (18 1/8 × 10 7/8 in.); Sheet: 58 × 43.6 cm (22 7/8 × 17 3/16 in.)

Artist

Salvator Rosa
Salvator Rosa

Painting

Salvator Rosa is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticised landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th century. In his lifetime, he was among the most famous painters, known for his flamboyant personality, and regarded as an accomplished poet, satirist, actor, musician and printmaker. He was active in Naples, Rome, and Florence, where on occasion he was compelled to move between cities, as his caustic satire earned him enemies in the artistic and intellectual circles of the day.

Naples, Italy

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More

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Saint William of Maleval

Saint William of Maleval

1780 · Etching in sanguine on ivory laid paper

WW-1780-010563
Apollo and the Cumean Sibyl

Apollo and the Cumean Sibyl

1780 · Etching on ivory laid paper

WW-1780-129696
Polycrates' Crucifixion

Polycrates' Crucifixion

1664 · Oil on canvas

WW-1664-010565
Polycrates and the Fisherman

Polycrates and the Fisherman

1664 · Oil on canvas

WW-1664-010566
Dream of Aeneas

Dream of Aeneas

1663 · Etching on ivory laid paper

WW-1663-116145
Jason and the Dragon

Jason and the Dragon

1663 · etching and drypoint

WW-1663-273016

Record

Verified by WattsOS
Year
1657
Dimensions
Plate: 46 × 27.5 cm (18 1/8 × 10 7/8 in.); Sheet: 58 × 43.6 cm (22 7/8 × 17 3/16 in.)
Watts ID
WW-1657-124265

Source

Source
aic
Status
verified

Artist

Salvator Rosa

Salvator Rosa

Painting

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