Cesare Dandini Lot n° 1

Cesare Dandini (successor), Cleopatra. Probably 1st half of the 17th century. Cesare Dandini1596 Florence - 1657 ibid. Giovanni Domenico Ferrucci 1619 Fiesole - after 1669 Oil on canvas. Unsigned. Cleopatra, the last Egyptian queen, died in 30 BC under mysterious circumstances. As possible causes of death, the ancient writings name a snake bite, a poisoned hair clip and an ointment. It is unclear whether the queen was murdered or whether she brought about her own death in order to escape the ignominy of being paraded as booty in the triumphal procession in Rome after her defeat by Octavian. The dramatic subject of Cleopatra wrestling with death, which allowed for the creation of female beauty and sensuality, was artistically realized in many ways and was one of the most popular subjects in Seicento painting. The present painting shows Cleopatra in her death throes under an arch in front of a drapery. Her right hand holds a lambent serpent, the left is raised in a defensive gesture. With fearfully widened eyes and half-open mouth, the sitter looks upwards. She is dressed in shimmering precious fabrics, wears bracelets and earrings with pearls which, according to legend, she dissolved in vinegar to prepare a beauty potion. Cesare Dandini treated the subject of the dying Cleopatra several times (Bellesi 99, 100, 101, Tav. XXXVI, p. 156 ff.) In Dandini's series of representations of great female figures also Lucrezia and Artemisia fit in: "Lucrezia" (Bellesi 102, 106, Tav. XXXVII, Tav. XXXIX, p. 163 ff.), "Artemisia" (Bellesi 115,Tav. XLII, p. 170 f.) They show a resemblance to our painting in gesture, expression, and treatment of the textiles. The author of the present painting is possibly Giovanni Domenico Ferrucci, pupil and assistant of Cesare Dandini, who partly mastered his style so well that it is difficult to distinguish his hand. (AKL) Lit.: Sandro Bellesi: Cesare Dandini. Torino, 1996. we thank Prof. Sandro Bellesi, Florence, for his kind advice . Image carrier doubled, margins tightened with paper tape.Original format reduced (oval borders cut). Scratches in varnish and painting layer beside the pearl earring, slight pressure mark upper left in the area of the cloth, chin and hair r. Numerous retouchings, especially at former canvas tears u.l., snake partially painterly supplemented. O., glazed painting layer partially rubbed (i. a. ornaments of the clothes). Varnish in the fold area by former framing with partial abrasion. Dimensions: 64 x 49 cm. Cesare Dandini 1596 Florence - 1657 there Italian painter of the baroque period, mainly active in his hometown Florence.Coming from a family of painters. Brother of the painter Vincenzo Dandini. His nephew Pietro and his sons, Ottaviano and Vincenzo were also active as painters. According to the biographer Baldinucci Cesare worked first under Francesco Curradi, then under Cristofano Allori and finally under Domenico Cresti, gen. il Passignano. From 1620 he was a member of the Accademia del Disegno. In 1627 he received his first commission from the Medici, which was to be followed by many and through which he achieved fame. His style shows a precision and care in drawing and design characteristic of Florentine painting. Dandini's pupils included Giovanni Domenico Ferrucci, Stefano della Bella, Alessandro Rosi, the landscape painter Antonio Giusti and Jackpot Giorgio.