THE ART OF PIETRO PAOLINI

Portrait of a Man Holding Durer's "Small Passion"

THE ART OF PIETRO PAOLINI

By Joan K. Yanni

It’s almost impossible to pass by Paolini’s Portrait of a Man Holding Dürer’s “Small Passion” (77.103) without stopping to look.  It is an unusual portrait. Rather than sitting stiffly in a formal pose, the anonymous subject is shown from the side, his head turned to look directly at the viewer. Interrupted in his contemplation of a book in his hand, he momentarily looks up, lips parted, as though questioning the intrusion. He is serious, but not unfriendly. He doesn’t want to chat, he wants to get back to the page at which he was gazing.

The background of the painting is dark, almost black. The light, coming from above, illuminates the subject’s face, the white silk sleeve of his left arm, the book in his hand, the left side of his chair. Also notable, though not as highly lighted, are books and a scroll on a shelf in the upper right of the picture, identifying the sitter as a scholar. The chiaroscuro (dramatic use of light and dark) is similar to that used by Caravaggio (1573-1610) and his followers, who used everyday scenes in their works but employed unusual lighting to achieve interest and drama. In fact MAG’s portrait had been attributed to Caravaggio himself until an art sale in the 1960s listed Paolini as the artist.  MAG acquired the work in 1977.

In the sitter’s hand one can see the frontispiece of the book he is holding: Dürer’s “Small Passion.” It pictures Jesus, “the man of sorrows,” seated with his bent head supported by his right hand. The crucifixion and resurrection have already  taken place, for Jesus wears the crown of thorns, and the nail holes in his feet are prominent. A verse written in Latin under the figure describes the reason for his sorrow:

                O cause of such great sorrows to me who am  just;

                O Bloody Cause of the cross and of my death;           

O Man, is it not enough that I suffered these things once for you?

                O cease crucifying me with new sins.

In addition to the pictured frontispiece, the book consists of thirty-six woodcuts, narrative plates with a Latin poem on the page facing each plate. Each plate invites contemplation and meditation. Dürer (1471-1528) was a painter as well as a printmaker and the most prominent engraver of his time. His works would have been well known to Paolini and his circle. The portrait is typical of Paolini’s mature work: sensitive and introspective. This portrait was not for public display, but a private, insightful presentation of his sitter’s inner thoughts and persona.

Pietro Paolini was born in Lucca, Italy, a town in Tuscany, in 1603. When he was 16 his father sent him to Rome to study

under painter Angelo Caroselli  (1585-1652), who had been a student of Caravaggio. How the young student paid for this sojourn is not known, since his family was not affluent. However, records of the prominent Buonvisi family of Lucca, who were bankers and had business in Rome, list one painting by Caroselli and six by Paolini in their holdings. They could have brought the artist and pupil  together.

Caroselli was probably chosen as his teacher because he knew the Roman art scene and was eclectic in his own painting. From him Paolini learned versatility and diversity in style. His earliest works were genre scenes with the lyrical style of Caravaggio, using familiar figures and details but dramatic lighting with heightened light and shadow. The Lute Player and The Fortune Teller are examples of this work.

There is no record of any other teacher,  though Paolini was probably influenced by the Italian and northern European artists,  followers of Bartolomeo Manfredi, who were active in Rome between 1620 and 1630. His first religious works, as well as many portraits done at this time, show the influence of his years in Rome. Many portraits from this time also demonstrate his early skill in portraiture and an interest in presenting likenesses that show the inner personality rather than the worldly possessions of his sitter.

                                            

Around 1628 he traveled to Venice, where he spent two years and learned the Venetian artists’ use of color. The Venetian influence can be seen in religious works such as two versions of Virgin and Saints, and history paintings, such as Esther and Ahasuerus.

He returned to Lucca in 1631. Here he created an original style encompassing  what he had learned from his experiences in Rome and Venice. He painted cabinet works, smaller works meant to be displayed in his patrons’ more intimate rooms, usually of musical or allegorical themes. He introduced still life painting to Lucca and found a ready market for his realistic still life works. 

Around 1650 the successful Paolini opened a painting academy which he was able to fund himself.  It was based on the principle of “art from nature.” Here numerous artists were trained, among them Antonio Franchi, Simone del Tontore and his brother Francesco.

Paolini’s life and prominence in his native town are recorded by local historians. He evidently moved in the aristocratic circles of  Lucca, fostering knowledge of and love for art.  He was regarded with esteem by his fellow citizens. He lived in Lucca until his death in 1681.

Source: Curatorial files, Grove Art Online, Gloria Williams, “Pietro Paolini’s Portrait of a Man Holding Dürer’s “Small Passion,” Porticus, Vol. XII/XIII, 1989-90.