Vincenzo Camuccini

Portrait of Countess Ekaterina P. Shuvalova, née Saltykova. Inscribed on a label on the reverse: "Bozetto de Camuccini / du portrait qu'il fait de la C. sse Schouwaloff". Unsigned. Oil on canvas mounted on canvas. 34 x 25 cm. Provenance: Christies, London Nov. 30th 2006 no. 291. The above painting appears to be a reduced version of the large portrait by Camucini on the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. On the present portrait Countess Shouvalova (1743-1817) is shown wearing the Order of St. Catherine, which she received in 1799.

of 1796 and the slightly later the infant paris entrusted to the shepherds we are grateful to anna ottani cavina of the university of bologna for suggesting that the present painting is 'a beautiful early work' by camuccini, based on a transparency. she points out in a letter dated 11 july, 2000 that it can be compared to other sketches on canvas, such as footnote:

oil on paper, laid down on linen the composition is derived from jusepe de ribera's late masterpiece, painted in 1651 for the choir of the church of san martino, naples. in 1826, ferdinand i put camuccini in charge of the reorganization of the royal picture collection at naples, and this sketch probably dates from that period of the artist's career.

signed and dated (maker's marks) signed or inscribed on the reverse of the canvas: camuccini material/medium oil on canvas, unlined, in a carved and gilt wood frame provenance galerie georges giroux, brussels (according to a label on the reverse). literature u. hiesinger, "the paintings of vincenzo camuccini, 1771-1844", in the art bulletin, june 1978, p.314. catalogue note brother of the art dealer pietro camuccini and pupil of domenico corvi, vicenzo camuccini became the leading proponent of the classical tradition in rome at the turn of the 19th century following the deaths of pompeo batoni and anton raphael mengs and the departure of pietro benvenuti, guiseppe bossi and luigi sabatelli for florence and milan. in 1802 he was received by the accademia di san luca in rome, and at the age of only 35 was elected its principal, a position he retained from 1806 until 1810. the pope pius vii appointed him the superintendent of the apostolic palaces in 1814 after his return from paris and munich. the present picture was painted when camuccini was at the height of his fame, and is listed in his accounts for works executed between 1796-1833 (published by heisinger - see literature), in which he refers to receipt of payment from "un olandese per due mezze figure appollo e dio pane".

vincenzo camuccini rome 1771 - 1844 curius dentatus refusing gifts from the samnites oil on canvas, unlined 18.8 by 32 cm.; 7 1/2 by 12 1/2 in. another bozzetto by camuccini of the same subject and composition, though of slightly smaller dimensions, is in the collection of the camuccini heirs, rome (see g. piantoni de angelis, vincenzo camuccini (1771-1844), exhibition catalogue, rome, galleria nazionale d'arte moderna, 27 october-31 december 1978, pp. 70-71, cat. no. 149, reproduced). camuccini executed a painting of this subject for prince aldobrandini in 1824. the composition was engraved by bertini, and camuccini painted two other versions of the painting (one for 'rotschild di napoli' and another which was later sold to the austrian ambassador). this particular bozzetto appears to be even less worked up than the painting now in the camuccini collection and may well be the artist's prima idea for the composition. a number of preparatory drawings also exist, attesting to camuccini's extensive planning for this important commission (g. piantoni de angelis, op. cit., cat. nos. 150-152).