Salvator Rosa

Laid down on an old card board backing. There is evidence of some slight surface dirt to areas of the sheet and some very minor foxing in places. The iron gall ink has begun to eat into some small areas of the sheet, in particular around the woman's face and the eyes of the kneeling punchinelli. Otherwise the medium is strong throughout this attractive work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The attribution of this most intriguing and rare drawing by Salvator Rosa was first proposed by Nicholas Turner.  The vibrant and spirited use of the pen, vaguely Riberesque, is totally characteristic of Rosa’s style, and is here enriched by a very subtle and delicate use of wash.  Although this drawing is stylistically comparable with several sheets dating from around the early 1650s, no drawing by the artist with a similar subject linked to the Commedia dell’Arte has survived, making this a rare witness to the vital role that performances and theatrical activities played not only in Rosa’s life, but in those of his friends, and many of his aristocratic patrons.  

Rosa moved in the most elevated cultural circles of the cities where he lived, seeking out work, recognition and fame.  Already at a very early age, when in Naples, he was interested in poetry and music, and was also soon drawn to the theatre, which was to remain a lasting passion.  Like many other artists, he enjoyed performing in the Carnival, and in 1639 he delighted his Roman audience by appearing in the Commedia dell'Arte masque, Pascariello.  The present drawing, which brings together art and theatre, therefore represents an important aspect of Rosa's artistic personality.  In this very humorous scene, with its lively figures posed as if on a stage, the chief protagonist is a girl who dances across a bed playing a tambourine, a draped cloth below her breast, wearing a mask and a feathered hat.  Her right foot rests on a cushion.  The two Punchinelli in the background accompany her dance with joyful beats of the drum. 

Given Rosa’s clear love of popular theatre, it is surprising that hardly any paintings or drawings by the artist with theatrical themes are known.  The only possible record of such a drawing to be found in any old inventory is one described in a 1683 listing of the collection of Rosa’s friend Carlo De’ Rossi, in Rome: Un disegno in carta con Pulcinella che recita in palco con cornice nera …..¹  Also recorded in De’ Rossi’s collection was an oval panel by the artist, signed with initials, showing a Punchinello, head and shoulders, which Caterina Volpi has recently published in her immensely informative book on the artist.²   In an appendix, Volpi also transcribes other old inventories of early private collections and in several of the most important, paintings by Rosa of theatrical subjects are listed.  For instance: in the Guicciardini Collection, Florence, were ‘Otto quadretti di maschere’; in the Roman collection of Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna was ‘Un Quadro di p.mi 2 1/2 con Pulcinella con cornice stretta dorata opera di Salvator Rosa (inv. no. 347); and also in Rome, in the Ludovisi Collection, was ‘Un Puncinella piccolo di Salvator Rosa prestato da Ippolita Ludovisi principessa di Piombino per la mostra dei quadri in San Salvator in Lauro del 1710’.³  

The character of Punchinello was a widely loved hero in the popular theatre traditions of much of Europe, particularly in the 18^th century, but he actually originated in Naples, where he was first introduced onto the stage by the actor Silvio Fiorillo at the beginning of the 17^th century.

 ¹ N. Gozzano, 'Salvator Rosa, I Colonna e la Commedia dell’arte: il mondo del teatro dipinto e recitato nella Roma del Seicento', Salvator Rosa e il suo tempo, 1615-1673 (Atti del Convegno Internazionale di Studi), Rome 2010, p. 110
² C. Volpi, Salvator Rosa, Rome 2014, p. 594, no. 325
³ Ibid., Appendice I (‘Dipinti e disegni attribuiti o autografi di Salvator Rosa citati negli inventari della colllezioni private italiane dal Seicento all'Ottocento’), respectively p. 610, p. 622, p. 628