"Sibyl"
Attributed to Giovanni Francesco Romanelli
(Viterbo 1610-1662)
Oil on canvas
Period: mid-17th century
Canvas size: 48 x 37 cm, Frame size: 60 x 50 cm
The painting is in excellent condition, perfectly cleaned and relined.
This beautiful painting from the mid-17th century depicts a splendid Sibyl in a manner decidedly detached from the usual conventions.
The protagonist is particularly attractive and is portrayed full of femininity with very exposed breasts, hair on her shoulders and a magnificent hairstyle.
The movement of the garments is truly remarkable, in the most typical ways of the best Roman Baroque painting. In effect, the painting shows all the peculiarities of the sumptuous but refinedly elegant Baroque.
The work belongs to the repertoire of Giovanni Francesco Romanelli "il Viterbese" who painted this Sibyl in several variations, the most famous exhibited at the Capodimonte museum.
We believe that ours, of a contained size, is very interesting as well as of great charm.
Biographical Notes:
Romanelli was born in Viterbo to Laura de Angelis and Bartolomeo Romanelli. At the age of 14, he went to Rome to study to become an artist. Within a few years, he was introduced to the workshops of Cardinal Francesco Barberini. He was a pupil of Domenichino and in the studio of Pietro da Cortona, who was at that time the most important exponent of Baroque painting in Rome. With the latter, however, the relationship deteriorated and Romanelli left his studio. He continued to be very active in Rome under the protection of the Barberini family. In 1639 he was elected Prince of the prestigious Accademia di San Luca.
With the death of Pope Urban VIII and the rise of Pope Innocent X to the pontifical throne, the Barberini family fell into disgrace and Romanelli lost an influential protector.
In this era, he was called to work in Paris by Cardinal Mazarin, for whom he painted a cycle of frescoes on the theme of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Here he also painted the apartments of Anna of Austria, mother of Louis XIV, at the Louvre Palace. In France he also worked at the Château de Le Raincy and the Episcopal Palace of Carpentras. For the prestige of his works in France he was made Knight of the Order of Saint Michael by King Louis XIV.
In the last years of his life he returned to Viterbo where he executed his last works.
Certificate of authenticity and detailed descriptive sheet.
https://www.antichitaischia.it/it/prodotto/sibilla
