Portrait of a Sculptor

Mid 19th Century

Attributed to, Alessandro Longhi 1733-1813, Longhi was a prominent Venetian portrait painter, printmaker, and biographer. The son of the famous genre painter Pietro Longhi, he is known for his detailed oil portraits of the Venetian aristocracy and his valuable book on contemporary Venetian painters. Longhi early life and training : Born: Alessandro Longhi was born on June 12, 1733, in Venice. He received his initial training from his father, Pietro Longhi. He later studied under Giuseppe Nogari, a respected portraitist in Venice during the 18th century, and was elected to the Venetian Academy in 1759. Longhi specialized in portraiture, primarily depicting the nobles and officials of the Republic of Venice. His paintings are a valuable record of the social and political structure of 18th-century Venice. Rococo aesthetic: Working in the Rococo style, he was adept at capturing the elegance and social status of his subjects. He paid meticulous attention to the elaborate robes, wigs, and emblems of office that signified his subjects' power. While his official state portraits could be stiff and formal, his portraits of less noble patrons demonstrated a greater sense of realism and psychological insight. Longhi was also an accomplished printmaker, particularly in etching. His etching technique showed an awareness of Rembrandt's work, and he used this skill to reproduce his and his father's paintings. In 1762, he published Compendio delle vite de' pittori veneziani istorici più rinomati del presente secolo, a biographical dictionary of contemporary Venetian painters that is still an important resource for art historians. Longhi illustrated the book with etched portraits of the artists. The portrait of Carlo Goldoni: One of his most celebrated paintings is his portrait of the Venetian playwright and librettist Carlo Goldoni. For his election to the Venetian Academy, he painted this allegory, which features a personified figure of Painting. His known portraits include Portrait of a Lady (Uffizi Gallery, Florence), Portrait of a Musician, and various portraits of Venetian nobles and officials. I have included further albeit identical biographies of Alessandro Longhi. Alessandro Longhi (born June 12, 1733, Venice—died 1813, Venice) was a painter, etcher, and biographer of Venetian artists, and was the most important Venetian portrait painter of his day. The son of the painter Pietro Longhi, he was given his first training by his father, who quite soon put him to study under the portrait painter Giuseppe Nogari. In 1759 he was elected a member of the Venetian academy, for which he painted one of his rare allegorical pictures, “Painting and Merit.” In 1762 Longhi issued his book Compendio delle Vite de’ Pittori Veneziani Istorici piu rinomati del presente secolo con sui ritratti dal naturale delineati ed indisi, one of the most important source books for the history of Venetian 18th-century painting. Both portraits and text were printed from plates he etched. Longhi’s facilely rendered portraits are largely generalized likenesses lacking any acuity of character observation. He mainly portrayed the leading Venetian luminaries and dignitaries of his day in a style that drew upon his father’s Rococo manner and 16th-century traditions of Venetian Renaissance portraiture. The personal details available for the painter Alessandro Longhi are limited, but his biography is intertwined with that of his family and the city of Venice. He was the son of a successful painter, which set his artistic path, and is known for creating sensitive and realistic portraits that captured the social atmosphere of 18th-century Venice. Alessandro was born in Venice in 1733 to the celebrated genre painter Pietro Longhi. He received his early training from his father before studying under another prominent portraitist, Giuseppe Nogari. A contrast to his father: While his father was known for painting scenes of everyday Venetian life, Alessandro focused almost exclusively on portraiture. His skill enabled him to capture the intimate psychology and character of his subjects, a quality especially evident in his portraits of less noble patrons. Election to the academy: In 1759, Alessandro was elected to the Accademia dei Pittori, the Venetian Academy of Painting. His election solidified his reputation as a master of the Rococo style. Beyond painting, Longhi was an accomplished printmaker, primarily producing etchings that reproduced his own works and those of his father. In 1762, he published the Compendio delle vite de' pittori veneziani, a collection of biographies of contemporary Venetian painters, which is an important historical resource. He became a prominent portraitist for Venice's upper class, including nobles and state officials. His official state portraits featured grand, full-length depictions of his subjects in their elaborate robes and emblems of office. Emphasis on realism: In contrast to the stylized nature of official portraits, Alessandro was praised for the "reality" he captured in works featuring common people. For example, his 1760 portrait of an innkeeper was celebrated for its realistic subject matter and "nuova maniera" (new manner). The art historian Olimpia Theodoli noted that Longhi's etching technique showed he had a firsthand knowledge of Rembrandt's work. Among his more famous works are a sensitive portrait of playwright Carlo Goldoni and the painting Portrait of a Wine Butler. He also produced religious and allegorical works, including paintings of the "Apostles" for the church of San Pantalon in Venice. This painting has been carefully conserved and the frame also, the frame looks to be original to the picture but we have no way of confirming this but we believe it to be so. 18th Century Italian portraits...

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