Salvator rose works. Rose salvator - all paintings by the artist. S. Rose. "Seascape", Museum of San Marino, Naples

Biography

Salvator Rosa was raised in a monastery and was preparing to take holy orders, but soon felt drawn to art and began to study painting. His mentors were Fr. Francanzone, J. Ribera, and A. Falcone. In addition to these artists, the development of his talent was greatly facilitated by his writing sketches from life without any help. At the age of 18, he went on a journey through Apulia and Calabria, fell into the hands of the local robbers and lived for some time among them, studying their types and customs, after which he worked in Naples.

Creation

Belonging in the direction of talent to the naturalists of the Neapolitan school of painting, having some affinity with his teachers, Ribera and Falcone, Rosa nevertheless showed, with great diversity in the choice of subjects, a lot of originality in their interpretation. In the paintings on historical topics he knew how to combine realism of the image with nobility lively composition and with a strong expression of the idea. The best of these paintings is considered to be “The Conspiracy of Catiline” (in the gallery of the Pitti Palace, in Florence). Among other works of Rose in this kind, especially worthy of attention: “Angel and Tobias” and “The Appearance of the Shadow of Samuel to Saul” (in the Louvre Museum, in Paris), “Jonah in Nineveh” and “Cadmus and Minerva” (in the Copenhagen Gallery), “The Crucifixion” (in the Brunswick Museum), “Prometheus” (in the Hague Gallery), “Prodigal Son”, “Odysseus and Nausicaa” and “Democritus and Protagoras” (in the State Hermitage) and some others.

The portraits by Rosa are very characteristic and expressive, which suggests their similarity with the faces posing in front of him. In those landscapes that came out from under his brush during his stay in Florence, such as, for example, in the large seaside view located in the Colonna Gallery in Rome, painting connoisseurs see the influence of Claude Lorrain. In other paintings of this kind, a certain artificiality and lethargy are noticeable. But Rose is an excellent, completely original master, imbued with poetry when he depicts harsh mountains, wild gorges, dense forest thickets, especially when he paints on canvases of small size. There are many of his paintings in which the landscape plays minor role, and the main content consists of human figures - mostly the figures of soldiers and robbers. Such paintings can be seen in the Hermitage (“Soldiers Playing Dice”), in Vienna, Munich, The Hague and other galleries. Finally, Rose beautifully painted very complex paintings of battles, a wonderful example of which is in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Regarding the coloring of his paintings, it should be said that it is not at all distinguished by great brilliance, but is extremely pleasant in its warmth and consistency of chiaroscuro.

IN recent years Throughout his life, Rosa was diligently engaged in engraving. In total, he executed 86 etchings of his own composition, many of which can be considered the best creatures artist and in good prints are very much appreciated by print lovers, such as, for example, “St. William the Hermit", "Plato"

Rosa Salvatore (1615–1673)
Italian painter, graphic artist, poet and musician. Born in the small town of Arnella near Naples in the family of a land surveyor. From childhood he was sent to be raised in the college of the Jesuit congregation of Somaska. Study of Latin, Holy Scripture, Italian literature, ancient history at the Jesuit College helped Salvatore Rosa in the future, when he became a painter. He studied painting with his brother-in-law, the artist F. Fracanziano, as well as with his uncle, the artist A. D. Greco, possibly visited the studio of H. Ribera, and was acquainted with the famous Neapolitan battle painter A. Falcone, one of the early masters of this genre.

Diogenes' Choice, 1650s
Private collection

Jason taming the dragon, 1640s
Museum fine arts, Montreal

Self-portrait
National Gallery, London

As if warning, the artist looks at us over his shoulder with a sad and contemptuous expression on his face. In fact, the inscription on the sign he holds in his hands reads: “Be silent if what you want to say is no better than silence.” The harsh meaning of this dark self-portrait is further enhanced by the artist's dark cloak and black hat, giving him an almost sinister appearance. It looms menacingly before us against the backdrop of a strange, horizonless sky. Rosa was strongly influenced by the harsh realism of Jusepe Ribera, who worked in Naples from 1616. Rosa's famous "violent manner" was even evident in his poetic landscapes. It was this quality that became especially important for romantic landscape painters of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Rosa was not only a painter, but also a graphic artist, poet, musician and actor.

The work of this talented painter is associated with the traditions of the Neapolitan school. The name of Salvatore Rosa is surrounded by legends, as he was distinguished by his rebellious disposition, courage, and great picturesque temperament. He was not only a painter and engraver, but also a poet, musician, actor, and the passion of his nature was evident in everything. The artist’s painterly talent was realized in landscape, portrait, battle scenes, paintings of the historical genre.

He worked in Naples (until 1635), Rome and Florence (1640–1648) as court artist to Giovanni Carlo de' Medici, the future cardinal. An exponent of pre-romantic tendencies in Italian Baroque painting, Rose in paintings on biblical and mythological themes (“ Prodigal son”, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg; “The Dream of Aeneas”, Metropolitan Museum of Art), graphics (etching “Game of Tritons”), scenes of cavalry battles (“Combat”, pen drawing, Museum fine arts, Leipzig), “stormy” landscapes with views of wild, sometimes fantastic areas (“Forest Landscape with Three Philosophers”, Art Gallery, Dresden; “Landscape with a Bridge”, Pitti Gallery, Florence) glorifies the escape of man into the bosom of nature, opposes generally accepted norms academic art of the 17th century. The expressive, gloomy atmosphere of Rosa’s works is created with the help of sharp light and shadow contrasts, a free style of writing, and a gloomy, brownish-leaden coloring.

The “Self-Portrait” (London, National Gallery) dates back to his time in Florence. Rose is depicted wearing a cloak draped over her shoulder. The romanticization of the image is emphasized by the somewhat theatrical attire, but the artist managed to convey the passion of nature, her vulnerability, and the irony that comes through in her gaze. The Latin inscription on the portrait: “Be silent, if what you want to say is not better than silence“- expresses the state of the artist, who apparently experienced deep disappointment from contact with injustice. The theme of “Self-Portrait” is continued by the painting “Allegory of Lies” (Florence, Pitti). Perhaps the model for the image of the man who took off the tragic mask and pointed at it was Rose himself.

This is an example of an allegory that has deep moral overtones, which expresses thoughts about the artist’s work and his position in society. It is possible that Rosa also depicted himself in the painting “Portrait of a Bandit” (St. Petersburg, Hermitage), which is a work mentioned in 17th-century sources. The image of this man is full of liveliness and wit, and his clothes are reminiscent of the costume of Pascariello, the hero of the commedia dell'arte mask.

In 1649, Salvatore Rosa moved to Rome, seeking to free himself from court service. He refuses offers to work at the courts of Austria, Sweden and France. With witty satires, the artist irritates those on whom rich orders depend. His canvas “Fortune” (London, Marlborough Gallery) depicting animals, in the images of which influential people recognized themselves, almost brought the wrath of the artist to the pope himself.

The circle of Salvatore Rosa’s ill-wishers has increased, as evidenced by the artist’s satirical painting “Envy.” After a quarrel with the venerable Lorenzo Bernini and other famous painters, the artist, despite his acquired fame, was refused admission to the Roman Academy of St. Luke. In this regard, Salvatore Rosa founded the “Academy of the Hurt” (Academia degli percossi). Its members and frequent guests Roses of steel famous artists, poets, musicians, scientists. Among them were the mathematician Torricelli, the composer Cesti, and the philologists Carlo Dati and Valerio Chimentelli.

Ancient history and mythology still allow the artist Salvatore Rosa to put forward ethical issues that concern him in his works. In the canvas “Democritus and Protagoras” (St. Petersburg, Hermitage) Rose talks about wisdom common man, which amazed the great philosopher, who made him his student. The film “Odysseus and Nausicaa” (ibid.) is about the nobility of the act of the ancient princess who helped the shipwrecked Odysseus. Ideal image the fighter for republican virtues is embodied by the artist in the painting “The Conspiracy of Catiline” (Florence, private collection), and in the painting “Saul at the Witch of Endor” (Paris, Louvre), the biblical story is intended, not without grotesquery, on the contrary, to debunk the sublime ideas about a bad ruler.

In the 1660s, Rosa copied his paintings in engravings, sometimes creating independent historical and allegorical compositions (the allegory “The Genius of Salvator Rosa”). Back in 1656, the artist became interested in the technique of etching and executed the “Capricci” series. As in his paintings, its heroes are tramps, soldiers, bandits, shepherds. They are depicted either in real situations or in theatrical poses and look either as life-like characters or as actors from costume scenes. In them, Rosa’s inherent fantasy and ability to figuratively synthesize everything that struck his imagination in reality are especially clearly visible.

Salvatore Rosa died on March 15, 1673 in Rome from dropsy. Before his death, the artist married his mistress Lucretia, with whom he lived for many years and raised two sons. The great master of the Italian Baroque, Salvator Rosa, rendered significant influence for development Italian painting. Under the influence of his art, the talent of Magnasco, Ricci and a number of other masters was formed. The art of Salvatore Rosa also inspired painters of the Romantic era.

The name of Rose is surrounded by legends. He was a passionate and multi-talented person who was interested not only in painting and engraving, but also in poetry, music, singing, and dramatic art. In their poetic works he expressed reflections on life, a heightened attitude to success and recognition, to relationships with noble customers, to creative independence, which he valued above all else. The courage of Rosa's views is evidenced by the fact that his satires were later banned by Vatican censorship. Equally bright and bold for the era was Rosa’s painting, in which he expressed philosophical, moralizing ideas. The words from his satire “Painting”: “Princes, I feel like I’m tempted to shout, although... with you I need to be silent and pretend,” sound defiantly addressed to representatives of the highest circles, towards whom the artist, who always defended his dignity, behaved quite unceremoniously: he set high prices, refused to give away the work, or, on the contrary, generously donated it. Because of its mocking satires and sharp allegorical paintings Rose had many ill-wishers.

He responded to the refusal to accept him as a member of the Roman Academy of St. Luke with the satire “Envy,” and in the canvas “Fortune” (1658-1659, London, Marlborough Gallery) he depicted the gifts of fate pouring out of a cornucopia, which do not go to those who receive them. worthy, but to animals, in the images of which many influential people recognized themselves. Constant harsh criticism and even the attention of the Inquisition accompanied him throughout his life.

Rosa’s paintings revealed his demanding attitude to life, enormous temperament and love of life. He was born in the small village of Arenella near Naples. At the Jesuit college he studied Latin, history, ancient and Italian literature. He studied painting with his uncle A.D. Greco and some time in Ribera's workshop. From the Spanish follower of Caravaggio, he inherited a broad style of painting with strong contrasts of light and shadow, a predilection for the rough folk type in canvases on religious, mythological and historical subjects, in scenes of “witchcraft” and images of robbers and vagabonds, which sounded like a challenge to high official art .

There is information that independent work Rosa began with the execution of small landscapes, which he wrote while wandering through the mountains or swimming in fishing boats along the shores of the Gulf of Naples. He constantly included these motifs in his works. Landscapes and marinas of Rose convey characteristic features Neapolitan nature: mountains, rocky shores, endless sea space with sailboats, silhouettes of towers and lighthouses, figures of sailors and fishermen. The artist gives it a romanticized appearance, introducing images of mysterious travelers, tramps, soldiers wrapped in cloaks, depicting old buildings, mountain streams, dry trees, sharp ledges of rocks, caves.

At times, as if trying to correlate his art with the “high” classicist style, he introduces ennobled mythological staffage into his paintings, painting in a calm painterly manner with gradual transitions of light and shadow (“Landscape with Apollo and the Sibyl of Cumae,” London, Wallace Collection). Expressing his philosophical reflections, Rose often introduces figures of ancient sages into landscapes: in the painting “The Grove of the Philosophers” (Florence, Pitti Gallery), his favorite character Diogenes points to a boy drinking water from a stream, calling for freedom and unity with nature.

In Rome, where the artist, who was striving for fame, arrived around 1630, he received an order from Cardinal Brancacci, but the completed work was not successful. But his name became known because of the satire written about the famous Roman sculptor and architect L. Bernini. In response, Bernini's friends staged a play in which Rosa was portrayed as an upstart and a tramp. The artist was saved from scandal by an invitation to serve in Florence with the future Cardinal J.K. Medici.

From 1640, Rosa spent about ten years in Tuscany. Here he acquired influential friends and patrons. The artist jokingly called the circle of educated people who visited his house “The Academy of the Bruised.” He was the soul of the conversations and plays that were composed and acted out under the guise of Pascariello. In the canvas " Portrait of a man"(1640s, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum) Rosa may have portrayed himself in the image of Pascariello. This is an image of a living, ironic, smart person just like the artist was. The “Self-Portrait” (c. 1645, London, National Gallery) also dates back to the period of his stay in Florence. Rose painted himself with a cloak thrown over his shoulder, with a face full of bitterness and anger. The Latin inscription reads: “Either be silent, or say what is better than silence.” Apparently, it expresses the mood of those years, which satires also convey.

During the Florentine period, scenes of “battles” were also executed (Battle of Christians with the Turks, ca. 1640, Florence, Pitti Gallery), which the artist often turned to painting. These baroque compositions convey not a specific event, but the dynamics and pathos of the struggle. The figures of warriors and horses are merged into large moving masses. A fierce battle takes place against the backdrop of a landscape of imaginary cities with fortress towers. The light-air atmosphere was painted with magnificent skill, giving unity to the plans and softness of transitions of light and shadow, which emphasize the clarity of plastic forms. The expressiveness of these large canvases is also given by the tonal developments of a few, but rich colors. The “battles” do not depict real historical events, but they carry an echo of an era full of violence, bloodshed, and atrocities. “It is necessary to stock up on boots, because everything is flooded with evil, there is blood everywhere...” the artist wrote in the satire War.

Conspiracies and uprisings of the poor in Naples during the time of Rosa were living history. The mountains were flooded with fugitive rebels, robbers, ready to support the rebellion against the Spaniards who dominated the Kingdom of Naples. Rosa introduced images of these people into his art; the same type is found in a series of etchings by the artist Capricci. Perhaps in his youth, traveling in the mountains, he met these people. In the canvas “Soldiers Playing Dice” (1650s, Moscow, State Museum Fine Arts named after. A.S. Pushkin) the figures are inscribed in the landscape, with mountains or swirling clouds, the gestures are mysterious and theatrical, and the scenes look at the same time very lifelike and fantastic, full of romantic elation.

Even in his youth, the artist was attracted to the depiction of scenes of witchcraft, the origins of which should be sought not so much in the street mysteries and carnival fortune-telling that have been widespread since the Middle Ages, but in the interest in the folk type associated with these phenomena. Such colorful types attracted many masters who inherited this tradition from Caravaggio. Motive old scenes Rose used witchcraft in the paintings of the “high” historical genre. The painting “Saul at the Sorceress of Endor” (Louvre) depicts the frightened King Saul, who fell at the feet of the menacing prophet Samuel, wrapped in a shroud, summoned from the grave by the sorceress. The skeleton ominously froze in eerie laughter - an image of imminent frightening death. Bible story Rose interprets with grotesque, depriving historical painting pathos of “high style”. It mocks the superstitions and prejudices of his time, a bold challenge to official circles.

Salvator Rosa's influence on modern times italian art was very significant. He had many followers who imitated his style. Many European masters of romanticism also saw their predecessor in Rose.

Elena Fedotova

K. Lorrain. “Morning” (copy), Pushkin Museum, Moscow

The “Harbors” series, which includes several compositions, is also interesting. Two of them – “Morning in the Harbor” (1640s) and “Evening in the Harbor” (1640s) – are exhibited in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. The painting “Morning in the Harbor” was so successful that the artist repeated it twice. One copy is kept in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the other, with a slightly modified foreground, is in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. The human figures were made, according to researchers, Flemish artist I. Milem.

Among other works, we can mention the paintings “Temple at Delphi” (Doria Pamphili Gallery, Rome), “The Enchanted Castle” (1664, National Gallery, London), “The Arrival of Ulysses at the Court of Lycomedes” (c. 1670, Hermitage, St. Petersburg ), “Christ on the way to Emmaus” (Hermitage, St. Petersburg), etc.

Claude Lorrain died in Rome at the age of eighty-two. His outstanding landscapes became a role model for many European artists of the 17th–19th centuries.

(1615–1673)

With his numerous talents, Salvator Rosa aroused admiration among his contemporaries and descendants. He was not only an outstanding painter, but also an excellent musician, poet, and actor. The famous German writer E. T. A. Hoffmann dedicated his story “Signor Formica” to the Italian artist in the 19th century. Rosa's work influenced not only world painting(especially its romantic direction), but also literature (W. Scott, W. Wadsworth, P. Shelley admired his landscapes).

Italian artist Salvator Rosa was born in the small town of Arenella near Naples. His father, a provincial architect, owned a small estate.

Little Salvator, taking walks around the city, could admire the delightful landscape. In the distance he saw the beautiful buildings of Naples, the island of Capri, the formidable Vesuvius, the San Elmo rock with the Borgo di Arenella fortress, which many years later he depicted in a number of his works. Everything that surrounded the artist from childhood was later reflected in his landscapes.

Little Salvator not only admired the beauty of the world, he tried to transfer what he saw onto paper (the pencil was the boy’s faithful companion during his walks).

Rosa's first teacher was his sister's husband, the artist Francesco Fracanzano, who was trained by the famous Jusepe de Ribera. It was Fracanzano who first noticed Salvator’s talent and predicted a great future for him.

In search of impressions, Rosa went on a journey through the Abruzzi Mountains. He was attracted by ancient ruins, wild rocks, deserted valleys, mysterious grottoes and caves. Human figures often appear in sketches made in these remote places. These are robbers, vagabonds, outcasts who settled in old abandoned cities, abandoned by the inhabitants a long time ago due to the threat of volcanic eruptions. Drawings created during his travels formed the basis for the emotional and romantically moving landscapes that Rosa painted when he returned home.

First time to a young artist it wasn't easy. Sometimes he did not have money to buy canvases, and he painted in oils on ordinary paper.

One day, Rosa’s work was noticed by the famous Italian monumental artist Giovanni Lanfranco.

He encouraged the aspiring painter and purchased several of his works. The praise inspired Salvator and gave him strength.

In the mid-1630s, leaving Naples, Rosa went to Rome, which at that time was the center cultural life Italy. Here the artist first became acquainted with the work of the great masters - Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian. His admiration was aroused by Claude Lorrain's paintings of sea harbors. Under the influence of Lorrain's art, Rosa's paintings appeared, showing ports with boats and figures of Italian fishermen.

S. Rose. " Seascape", Museum of San Marino, Naples

The artist's first stay in Rome did not last long. He soon fell ill and returned home to Naples. But a few years later, in 1639, Rosa again found himself in the Great City. But now it was no longer an unknown young artist, but famous painter, musician and actor. Rosa's biographers tell this story. At the annual Roman carnival, Salvator dressed up as a simple Neapolitan peasant, choosing the name Formica (ant). He entertained the audience with his beautiful singing, accompanying himself on the guitar.

When the artist took off his mask, the audience gasped in amazement. No one expected that under the mask of a simple peasant he was hiding famous painter from Naples. This episode gained more fans for Rose.

Soon the master opened a theater in a villa near Porta del Popolo, in which he staged performances. During one of these performances, he allowed himself to criticize the theater of the famous architect and sculptor Lorenzo Bernini, which operated on the territory of the Vatican, thereby making influential enemies who hired assassins to destroy the daring artist. Rosa had to leave Rome. He went to Florence, where he was invited by Cardinal Giovanni Carlo Medici. The artist lived in Florence for nine years. Famous Italian writers, scientists, philosophers, and musicians gathered in his house. Belongs to the Florentine period literary experience artist who wrote several large poetic satires, which were soon illustrated paintings(“Poetry”, National Gallery, Rome; “Lies”, Pitti Gallery, Florence; “Music”, National Gallery, Rome).

Salvator Rosa was an Italian painter, engraver, poet and musician.

Born in Renella, near Naples, on June 20, 1615 (16150620), he was raised in a monastery and was preparing to take holy orders, but soon felt an irresistible attraction to art and began to study first music, and then painting. His mentors in the latter were first his brother-in-law, Fr. Francanzone, a student of X. Ribera, then Ribera himself and, finally, the battle painter Aniello Falcone. In addition to these artists, the development of R.'s talent was greatly facilitated by his writing sketches from life without anyone's help. At the age of eighteen, he set off to wander around Apulia and Calabria, fell into the hands of the local robbers and lived for some time among them, studying their types and customs, after which he worked in Naples.

In 1634 he moved to Rome, where he was not slow to gain fame for his images of characteristic, full of life scenes from the life of shepherds, soldiers and bandits, but thanks to his satires and especially two paintings: “Transience human life” and “The goddess of happiness, squandering her gifts on the unworthy,” antagonized Roman society to such an extent that he had to retire to Naples. When Masaniello's revolution broke out there, he participated in it. From 1650 to 1660 worked in Florence, at the court of Grand Duke J.-C. Medici, from time to time visiting Rome. Finally, he settled again in this city, where he died on March 15, 1673.

Belonging in the direction of talent to the naturalists of the Neapolitan school of painting, having some affinity with his teachers, Ribera and Falcone, Rosa nevertheless showed, with great diversity in the choice of subjects, a lot of originality in their interpretation. In paintings on historical themes, he knew how to combine the realism of the image with the nobility of an animated composition and with a strong expression of the idea. The best of these paintings is considered to be “The Conspiracy of Catiline” (in the gallery of the Pitti Palace, in Florence). Among other works of Rose in this kind, especially worthy of attention: “Angel and Tobias” and “The Appearance of the Shadow of Samuel to Saul” (in the Louvre Museum, in Paris), “Jonah in Nineveh” and “Cadmus and Minerva” (in the Copenhagen Gallery), "The Crucifixion" (in the Brunswick Museum), "Prometheus" (in the Hague Gallery), "The Prodigal Son", "Odysseus and Nausicaa" and "Democritus and Protagoras" (in State Hermitage) and some others.

The portraits by Rosa are very characteristic and expressive, which suggests their similarity with the faces posing in front of him. In those landscapes that came out from under his brush during his stay in Florence, such as, for example, in the large seaside view located in the Colonna Gallery in Rome, painting connoisseurs see the influence of Claude Lorrain. In other paintings of this kind, a certain artificiality and lethargy are noticeable. But Rose is an excellent, completely original master, imbued with poetry when he depicts harsh mountains, wild gorges, deep forest thickets, especially when he paints on small canvases. There are many of his paintings in which the landscape plays a secondary role, and the main content consists of human figures - mostly the figures of soldiers and robbers. Such pictures can be seen in Imperial Hermitage(“Soldiers Playing Dice”), in Vienna, Munich, The Hague and other galleries. Finally, Rose beautifully painted very complex paintings of battles, a wonderful example of which is in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Regarding the coloring of R., it must be said that it is not at all distinguished by great brilliance, but is extremely pleasant in its warmth and consistency of chiaroscuro.

In the last years of his life, Rosa was diligently engaged in engraving. In total, he executed 86 etchings of his own composition, many of which can be considered among the best creations of the artist and, in good prints, are highly valued by print lovers, such as, for example, “St. William the Hermit”, “Plato and His Disciples”, “Warrior Sitting on a Hill”, etc.

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