Author of the entry: Augusto Russo
This fine oval portrait surfaced on the Spanish antiquarian market, having come from a private collection in Madrid, where it seems to have already been attributed to Francesco De Mura. It was first published only relatively recently with that same attribution (which seems almost watertight) and, more importantly, with an ambitious and persuasive proposal for the sitter’s identification: Raimondo di Sangro, seventh Prince of Sansevero (Katia Fiorentino, in _Ritorno al Barocco _2009, p. 308, no. 1.170). Until then, it had been described simply as a portrait of a knight of the Order of San Gennaro, on the basis of the mantle worn by the sitter. The painting’s subsequent appearance on the Neapolitan antiquarian market (Galleria Porcini) provided the occasion for a focused presentation of this aspect of De Mura’s activity as a portraitist, supported by apt comparisons (Giuseppe Porzio, in Antichi maestri a Napoli 2019, pp. 80–87, no. 9). In the light of the sitter’s identification, the recent acquisition of the canvas by the present owners of the Museo Cappella Sansevero appears entirely justified, if not striking.
This identification, for which there is no real reason to entertain doubt, rests primarily on observations concerning Raimondo’s physiognomy, known to us from confirmed likenesses. There are essentially two portraits that serve as points of reference. The first, datable to 1747–1750, survives through the drawing and engraving by Ferdinando Vacca after a painted model by Carlo Amalfi, now lost – or not yet traced (cf. Fabrizio Masucci, in I nostri omaggi 2010, pp. 69–70, no. 14; see also the similar eighteenth-century engraving by Carlo Gregori in the Achille Bertarelli print collection). This image reflects the aristocratic and chivalric conventions of the period, alluding to the sitter’s military career, and presenting him in a youthful guise. The second and more widely known is again by Amalfi: the portrait on copper made for the Prince’s funerary monument in the family chapel, where it is still preserved, albeit in poor condition. The monument was probably erected in 1759, or shortly afterwards (cf. entry 24). Here, the sitter is portrayed as a mature man, in a likeness noted for its naturalistic approach and an attempt at psychological depth (cf. Picone 1959, pp. 98–99; Aiello 1989, pp. 79–81). We may also take into account the description of Raimondo by Antonio Genovesi, who knew him well and wrote in his Autobiografia: ‘This gentleman is short in stature, large of head, and of fine and jovial aspect: a philosopher in spirit […]: of most amiable and gentle manners – studious and retiring. A lover of the conversation of men of letters’ (cited in Imbruglia 2017).
Within what may be termed a certain iconographic ‘misfortune’, especially when set against Raimondo’s standing and reputation, De Mura’s portrait represents a substantial addition and a clear improvement in terms of quality, both with regard to the painting itself and its author. The Prince, who for decorative painting relied largely on Francesco Maria Russo (and Francesco Celebrano), and who depended on Amalfi for portraiture, appears to have secured, at least on one occasion, the services of the leading Neapolitan painter of the mid-eighteenth century, engaged by major religious orders, royal courts beyond the Kingdom, and numerous private patrons. It is curious, however, that no explicit trace of this portrait has yet emerged in the archival documentation relating to Raimondo or even in the inventory of his estate drawn up in 1771 (cf. Attanasio 2011, pp. 115–162).
In terms of sensitive portraiture and stylistic handling, the painting has been compared to one of De Mura’s most accomplished and internationally recognised works: the portrait of Count James Joseph O’Mahony in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Giuseppe Porzio, in Antichi maestri a Napoli 2019, pp. 82–83; cf. also Rosenberg 1982, p. 90; In the Light of Naples 2016, pp. 150–151, no. 25). That portrait, datable to 1747–1748, is the pendant to that of his wife, Lady Anne Clifford, painted in Naples at the same time by Pierre Subleyras (usually active in Rome) and now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Caen (Debaisieux 2000, pp. 142–144, no. 84). This conjunction suggests a direct acquaintance between the two near-contemporary artists and supports the view that De Mura was attentive to currents in French and Roman painting in the mid-eighteenth century, an attentiveness already perceptible in increasing luminosity and clarity of form (cf. Spinosa 1993, p. 160).
De Mura’s contribution to portraiture must be placed between the legacy of his teacher Francesco Solimena (whose corpus of portraits has recently been systematically examined: see ‘Nicola Spinosa’, in Francesco Solimena 2018, pp. 540–570, nos. 266–297) and the more independent and updated language he developed in maturity, partly under the influence of the trends mentioned above. His stay in Turin (1741–1743), within a milieu marked by the convergence of diverse artistic traditions, will have broadened his cultural outlook and influenced his portraiture. The portrait of Raimondo di Sangro may reasonably be assigned to this more advanced phase, with a probable date around 1750.
The Prince of Sansevero served as colonel of the Provincial Regiment of Capitanata under Charles of Bourbon, and his name is associated above all with the battle of Velletri (1744), decisive for the fortunes of the Kingdom. Shown half-length and in three-quarter pose, in martial attire, the sitter wears parade armour and bears further signs of rank. The image celebrates the man-at-arms, though not as a severe commander or one marked by the hardships of war. Magnificence is conveyed by the adoption of a bright and uncluttered formula. The result is a courtly, official effigy; yet it is far from grave. It is animated both in gesture (particularly in the left hand) and gaze, intensely alive, glittering with thoughts, and with something almost approachable, while a faint smile plays on the lips. Against an indeterminate background, metallic surfaces, fabrics, and ermine are rendered with both mimetic precision and refinement. As if moved by a residual decorative impulse, or by an ideal breath of air, the contours of the figure appear slightly disarranged – ruffled even – in both dress and accessories.
The history of this painting indicates how much remains to be done to expand our knowledge of this area of De Mura’s output. A systematic catalogue is required to address both individual commissions and the broader development of his work from both Italian and European perspectives.
Essential bibliography on the work
Katia Fiorentino, in Ritorno al Barocco. Da Caravaggio a Vanvitelli, exhibition catalogue, Nicola Spinosa (ed.) (Naples, various venues, 12 December 2009 – 11 April 2010), I, Naples 2009, p. 308, no. 1.170.
I nostri omaggi, Principe!, exhibition catalogue, Fabrizio Masucci (ed.), Museo Cappella Sansevero (23 April – 18 July 2010), Naples 2010, pp. 69–70, no. 14.
Antichi maestri a Napoli. Dipinti del Sei e Settecento, editorial project and selection of paintings by Dario and Vincenzo Porcini, catalogue and texts, Giuseppe Porzio (ed.), Naples 2019, pp. 80–87, no. 9.
Comparative bibliography
Picone Marina, La Cappella Sansevero, Naples 1959, pp. 98–99.
Rosenberg Pierre, ‘Tre note napoletane’, in Arti e civiltà del Settecento a Napoli, Cesare De Seta (ed.), Rome–Bari 1982, pp. 79–94, esp. p. 90.
Aiello Immacolata, Carlo Amalfi, pittore del ‘700, Sorrento 1989, pp. 79–81.
Spinosa Nicola, Pittura napoletana del Settecento. Dal Barocco al Rococò, Naples 1993, p. 160.
Debaisieux Françoise, Caen. Musée des Beaux-Arts. Peintures françaises des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, Paris 2000, pp. 142–144, no. 84.
Attanasio Sergio, In casa del principe di Sansevero. Architettura, invenzioni, inventari, Naples 2011, pp. 115–162.
In the Light of Naples. The Art of Francesco De Mura, exhibition catalogue, Arthur R. Blumenthal (ed.) (Winter Park [Florida], George D. and Harriet W. Cornell Fine Arts Museum, 17 September – 18 December 2016; Madison, Chazen Museum of Art, 20 January – 2 April 2017; Poughkeepsie [New York], Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, 21 April – 2 July 2017), London 2016, pp. 150–151, no. 25.
Imbruglia Girolamo, ‘Sangro, Raimondo di’, in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, 90, Rome 2017, pp. 221–225, online: www.treccani.it/biografico.
Francesco Solimena (1657–1747) e le Arti a Napoli, Nicola Spinosa (ed.), I, Rome 2018, pp. 540–570, nos. 266–297.
DOI: 10.82049/CATALOGO30