Artemisia Gentileschi (Roma, 1593 - Napoli, 1652/1653
Portrait of a Gonfalonier, 1622
oil on canvas; inv. P 4
provenance: Bequest of Agostino Sieri Pepoli, 1910
This is one of the few works signed and dated by Artemisia Gentileschi,
on the back were the words ARTEMISIA.GENTILESCA.FACIEBAT.ROMAE.1622 (unfortunately no longer legible after restoration).
Gentileschi’s contemporaries praised her portraiture, but
this is the only known work of this genre that can be definitively
attributed to her.
The sitter’s identity is unknown; the trefoil cross
identifies him as a Knight of the Order of Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro,
while the banner in the background shows he was a gonfalonier of the
papacy.
The composition of the painting is similar to the full-figure style of
state portrait introduced by Titian, in which the inclusion of
attributes played an important role in the commemoration of the social
and political status of the person portrayed. Despite the traditional
scheme, this portrait is a masterpiece.
The audacious use of light derived from Caravaggio, the psychological
shadings, the virtuosity with which the different materials are
rendered and, more generally, its liveliness make this painting
extraordinary in its modernity.
