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Portrait of cardinal Guido Bentivoglio

Anthony van Dyck • Painting, 1620-th , 195×147 cm
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About the artwork
Art form: Painting
Subject and objects: Portrait
Style of art: Baroque
Technique: Oil
Materials: Canvas
Date of creation: 1620-th
Size: 195×147 cm
Artwork in selections: 21 selections
Exhibitions history
Van dyke Court painter
November 16, 2018 − March 17, 2019
Royal Palace, Piazzetta Reale, 1

Description of the artwork «Portrait of cardinal Guido Bentivoglio»

"Portrait of cardinal Guido Bentivoglio" considered the top Italian period (1621 – 1627) by Anthony van Dyck.

Van Dyck may have heard of Bentivoglio and before my trip to Italy. In 1610-ies Guido served as papal Ambassador in the homeland of van Dyck in Flanders. As a diplomat he took an active part in the settlement of relations between the Catholic Habsburg Spain and the Republic of the United provinces, which included Flanders. About 80 years Republic, waging war, trying to get rid of the domination of the Spanish crown and gain independence. During this time in the Netherlands is widely spread ideas of the reformation, cruelly persecuted the Catholics. Bentivoglio was among the signatories of the so-called "twelve years truce" (1609-1621), which allowed to stop the bloodshed.

However, at the time of writing the portrait of cardinal van Dyck (it belongs to the period between 1623 and 1625 years) "twelve year truce" was over, and the Protestant Netherlands once again tried to escape from the Catholic Spanish dictatorship. Of course, the Italian Bentivoglio, the papal supporting ideas, acted against the political interests of the country of van Dyck. But van Dyck was also a Catholic, he came from a very religious merchant family, was very devout, so that there is no ideological split between him and the cardinal-Italian could not be.
From Flanders Bentivoglio will be transferred to Paris – there is also aggravated by the confrontation between the Catholics and Huguenots and will need his diplomatic skills, and then to Rome.

In Rome, cross a scientist, a priest and a diplomat, Bentivoglio, and very young (he was at this time little more than twenty) van Dyck. The artist arrived in Italy on the recommendation of his mentor Rubensbut he is less like to work in the monumental, historical and religious painting. Perhaps van Dijk is aware that this area will not be able to compete with Rubens, so he focuses on the genre to which was really intended and which, ultimately, will make him the great – portrait.

"Portrait of cardinal Guido Bentivoglio" clearly reveals the main installation of portraiture van Dyck: maintaining the external magnificence, the artist is most interested to show in the portrait of human uniqueness. Face Guido Bentivoglio are marked with the seal of originality, really soulfully. Van Dyck depicts the intellectual and strategist.

It is considered that van Dyck idealize their models, it exalts them. So, of course. However, in his best paintings, he remains truthful. And, looking at the face of Bentivoglio, where we see in it something that may not meant van Dyck: a certain fraction of the guile, professional cynicism is high-ranking Catholic officials.

Was in the biography of Guido Bentivoglio page, which is still a matter of debate. Once in his youth, while studying at the University of Padua, he attended private lessons from one of the best minds of his time – mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and philosopher Galileo Galilei. Then the path of teacher and student diverge. In 1628 (after a few years after writing this portrait by van Dyck), cardinal Guido Bentivoglio will be headed by the Roman Inquisition. But in 1633 she will be judged Galileo. And the second signature on the verdict Galilee will be the signature of his made a brilliant career as a student – Guido Bentivoglio. The cardinal himself in his memoirs will assure that has done everything in his power to save the Galilee. As we know, it was not enough.

Author: Anna Yesterday
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