Portrait of Pietro Aretino, c. 1541-1560
Enea Vicoexpand_more
Engraving and etchingexpand_more
Gift of the Estate of Kemper Kirkpatrickexpand_more P.92.8.121
Not on Viewexpand_more
Italian author Pietro Aretino (1492-1556) ingratiated himself with Renaissance princes by having his portrait painted and delivered to their doorstep. According to the English art critic Roger E. Fry, he was "a professional flatterer, bully, and tout." Enea Vico gave the imposing Aretino the aspect of a Roman emperor and framed him within a medallion. In this context the grotesque elements lodged in the margin--masks, animal heads, ripe fruits and vegetables--may function like the marginalia of illuminated manuscripts; that is, as expressions of covert appetites and desires.
Details
- Title
- Portrait of Pietro Aretino
- Artist Life
- 1523 - 1567
- Role
- Maker
- Accession Number
- P.92.8.121
- Provenance
- (R.E. Lewis, San Francisco). Sale, Stanford Treasure Market, Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, California, March 28-30, 2014, to Bergquist; (Joel Bergquist, Stanford, California, 2014)
- Catalogue Raisonne
- B.238
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.