Pier Francesco Cittadini (1616-1681), Family Portrait - Family portrait

Features

Artist:  Pier Francesco Cittadini (1616-1681)

Artwork title:  Ritratto di famiglia

Artistic school:  Lombard-Hispanic School

Age:  17th Century / 1601 - 1700

Subject:  Human Figures

Artistic technique:  Painting

Technical specification:  Oil on Canvas

Description : Ritratto di famiglia

Of great compositional quality, and strongly oriented towards a lucid psychological analysis, the artwork features traits that refer to the work of Pier Francesco Cittadini, known as 'Il Milanese'. Born in Milan, early student of Daniele Crespi, moved to Bologna when he was a young man; in the years 1645-46 a period in Rome follwed with subsequent return to Bologna. From the 1650's onwards, he actively devoted himself to the production of portraits and still life, destined for private clients. Precisely his first Lombard and Roman education, within Cerquozzi circle, testify of his modern sensibility compared to the classical Bolognese sphere, with naturalistic ideas typical of not only the best Lombard production but also the Spanish production of portraiture, for example in the famous family portrait preserved in the castle of Dozza Imolese; In it, the strong light-shadow contrast accentuates intrinsic introspection denoting the depth of the analysis of reality. Even in the portrait proposed here, the greatest attention is placed not so much on the surface of prestige and appearance, underlined by the quality of the clothes, but rather on the truth of the feelings and the proposed dramatic reality. Here a man, evidently a widower, appears portrayed with his six children, but one of them has died, and it's the one he is caressing the head. Almost blurred, with resignation, the baby holds an inverted glass, a symbol of pouring life. In the foreground, the older daughter shows the spectator the six cards, of which five are flowers, as such the parent considers his children, and one is the ace of spades. This represents the deceased son, who was twin of the other still alive, corresponding to the ace of flowers. The intimate domestic composition is enriched by the remarkable piece of dead nature featured in the carpet decorated with floral motifs. The painting has been restored and reinterpreted and is presented in a style frame. It has undergone minimal retouching and integration.

Frame Size (cm):
Height: 183
Width: 214

Artwork dimensions (cm):
Height: 161
Width: 192

Additional Information