Study for Polycrates’ Crucifixion

1657·Pen and brown iron gall ink on tan laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper·13.2 × 6.7 cm (5 1/4 × 2 11/16 in.)

<p>A painter, draftsman, and printmaker, as well as a satirical poet and actor, Salvator Rosa was one of the most idiosyncratic Roman artists of the 17th century. This rare subject, related to both a painting and a large etching in the Art Institute’s collection, is of the crucifixion in 522 b.c. of the wealthy and greedy tyrant of Samos, Polycrates, who incited the envy of the Persian viceroy of Sardis, Oroetes, to his peril.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1657
Medium: Pen and brown iron gall ink on tan laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper
Dimensions: 13.2 × 6.7 cm (5 1/4 × 2 11/16 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Salvator Rosa

Artist

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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