17th Century Etchingn And Drypoint" Ceres And Phytalus" By Salvator Rosa, 1662

" Ceres and Phytalus"
To left, Phytalus, kneeling, receives the fig tree from the goddess Ceres, standing to right, as a reward for his hospitality. Etching and drypoint, circa 1662, signed at lower center.

Example of the second state of two with the plate retouched in Phytalus's right foot and in the profile of Ceres, to which a third lock of hair is also added.

A fine impression, printed on contemporary laid paper with "fluer-de-lys in a circle with grapes" watermark, wide margins, very good condition.

The work describes the myth of Ceres that, hosted by Phytalus in his home, gives him the fig tree, which was hitherto unknown to men, as a sign of gratitude.

Some scholars argue that the subject is inspired by the Life of Theseus of Plutarch and others that the work is more banally due to the predilection of the artist for the fruit of the fig tree.

The work is mentioned in a letter written by Salvator Rosa to his friend Ricciardi in 1662 from his hermitage in the villa of Strozzavolpe near Poggibonsi, along with other famous works: Polycrates, Democritus, Alexander and Diogenes, Plato's Academy, Diogenes Throwing the Bowl, and the Death of Atilius Regulus. We can therefore conclude that 1662 was a particularly happy and fruitful year for the engraver Rosa, who linked his fame as a great graphic artist to the copperplates executed during this period. The subject depicted in our print illustrates the myth of Ceres who, hosted by Phytalius in his home, gives him the fig tree hitherto unknown to man, as a sign of gratitude. The source from which Rosa draws inspiration in her learned readings is to be found in Pausanias' Periegesis tes Ellados (I, 37, 24) or in Plutarch's Life of Theseus (chap. XXIII), but some critics have linked this subject with the artist's known predilection for the fig fruit, reported by his biographer Baldinucci. The scene depicted in the engraving appears marked by a classical composure, although it has been noted that the attitudes of the two figures derive from the mimicry of contemporary theatre, widely known and practised by the artist” (cfr. Massari, Tra Mito ed Allegoria, p. 446).

Bibliography: Bartsch / Le Peintre graveur (XX.275.19); Wallace 1979 / The Etchings of Salvator Rosa (112.II); Salamon 98; S. Massari, Tra Mito ed Allegoria, p. 446, 170, II/II.

Salvator Rosa ( Arenella, Kingdom of Naples 20th June or 2st July 1615 – Rome, Papal State 15th March 1673) was an Italian Baroque painter, engraver and poet whose romanticized landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th century. In his lifetime he was among the most famous painters, known for his flamboyant personality, and regarded as an accomplished poet, satirist, actor, musician, and printmaker, as well. He was active in Naples, Rome, and Florence, where on occasion he was compelled to move between cities, as his caustic satire earned him enemies in the artistic and intellectual circles of the day.

As a history painter, he often selected obscure and esoteric subjects from the Bible, mythology, and the lives of philosophers, that were seldom addressed by other artists. He rarely painted the common religious subjects, unless they allowed a treatment dominated by the landscape element. He also produced battle scenes, allegories, scenes of witchcraft, and many self portraits. However, he is most highly regarded for his very original landscapes, depicting "sublime" nature: often wild and hostile, at times rendering the people that populated them as marginal in the greater realm of nature. They were the very antithesis of the "picturesque" classical views of Claude Lorrain and prototypes of the romantic landscape. Some critics have noted that his technical skills and craftsmanship as a painter were not always equal to his truly innovative and original visions. This is in part due to a large number of canvases he hastily produced in his youth (1630s) in pursuit of financial gain, paintings that Rosa himself came to loathe and distance himself from in his later years, as well as posthumously misattributed paintings.Many of his peopled landscapes ended up abroad by the 18th century, and he was better known in England and France than most Italian Baroque painters.

Rosa has been described as "unorthodox and extravagant", a "perpetual rebel","The Anti-Claude and a proto-Romantic. He had a great influence on Romanticism, becoming a cult-like figure in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and myths and legends grew around his life, to the point that his real life was scarcely distinguished from the bandits and outsiders that roamed the wild and thundery landscapes he painted. By the mid 19th century however, with the rise of realism and Impressionism, his work fell from favor and received very little attention. A renewed interest in his paintings emerged in the late 20th century, and although he is not ranked among the very greatest of the Baroque painters by art historians today, he is considered an innovative and significant landscape painter and a progenitor of the romantic movement.

Please note: the release of the authorization for export by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage takes about six weeks from the day of purchase.

Condition report:

Good. Wear consistent with age and use.