This article examines a hitherto unknown episode of the European fame of Guido Reni, presenting new evidence concerning the fate of one of his most impressive and renown late works, the Bacchus and Ariadne. Commissioned in 1639 by the powerful Cardinal Francesco Barberini (1597–1679), the painting was intended as a diplomatic gift to the Queen of England, Henrietta Maria (1609–1669), wife of Charles I. Yet, after its completion in 1640, the large canvas was shipped not to London, but to Rome, where it would remain with Cardinal Barberini for the following six years. New evidence from the Diaries of the bohemian Cardinal Adalbert von Harrach (1598–1667) reveals that cardinal Barberini changed his mind about the painting’s destination, proposing instead that the work be given as a diplomatic gift to Walter Leslie (1606–1667), a Scottish diplomat in the service of the emperor Ferdinand III who visited Rome in spring 1645. This episode sheds new light on Cardinal Barberini’s political acuity, calling attention to his pragmatism in international relations and adaptability in using paintings as instruments of persuasion and influence in foreign affairs. Finally, the article discusses also the material legacy of the large canvas that, according to contemporary sources, was literally cut into pieces by the servants of Madame d’Emery, the wife of France’s finance minister Michel Particelli (1596–1650), who was shocked by the lascivious nudity of Guido’s deities.
‘Barberino gli volse donare un quadro’: Francesco Barberini, Walter Leslie e una nuova traccia documentaria per il Bacco e Arianna di Guido Reni
Mattia Biffis
2018-01-01
Abstract
This article examines a hitherto unknown episode of the European fame of Guido Reni, presenting new evidence concerning the fate of one of his most impressive and renown late works, the Bacchus and Ariadne. Commissioned in 1639 by the powerful Cardinal Francesco Barberini (1597–1679), the painting was intended as a diplomatic gift to the Queen of England, Henrietta Maria (1609–1669), wife of Charles I. Yet, after its completion in 1640, the large canvas was shipped not to London, but to Rome, where it would remain with Cardinal Barberini for the following six years. New evidence from the Diaries of the bohemian Cardinal Adalbert von Harrach (1598–1667) reveals that cardinal Barberini changed his mind about the painting’s destination, proposing instead that the work be given as a diplomatic gift to Walter Leslie (1606–1667), a Scottish diplomat in the service of the emperor Ferdinand III who visited Rome in spring 1645. This episode sheds new light on Cardinal Barberini’s political acuity, calling attention to his pragmatism in international relations and adaptability in using paintings as instruments of persuasion and influence in foreign affairs. Finally, the article discusses also the material legacy of the large canvas that, according to contemporary sources, was literally cut into pieces by the servants of Madame d’Emery, the wife of France’s finance minister Michel Particelli (1596–1650), who was shocked by the lascivious nudity of Guido’s deities.Pubblicazioni consigliate
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