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Alessandro Longhi Italian (1733-1813) Portrait of a Gentleman, c. 1750

The Kress Gallery Continued (5)
Although the setting of this portrait of a Venetian gentleman is spare and simple, it tells us a great deal about the individual pictured. Clearly, he is a man of some wealth: his clothing--a shoulder-length wig, black velvet jacket, and shirt with lace-trimmed sleeves--appears expensive, as does the high-backed chair, which is gilded and upholstered in red velvet. The book he holds, along with the inkwell and pens on the desk, indicate that he is educated. Relaxed and surrounded by comforts, he meets the viewer's gaze with a look of solemn self-assurance.

Alessandro Longhi spent his life in Venice painting portraits of his contemporaries. He was elected to the Venetian Academy when he was twenty-six and is now regarded as one of the finest Venetian portraitists of the eighteenth century. Longhi was known to be a perceptive reader of personalities. He strove to capture and communicate the individual character of his subjects, depicting them engaged in their daily routines and employing settings that, as in this work, give clues to their character.

	School of Parmigianino Italian (1503-1540) Saint Barbara, c. 1522

This portrait of Saint Barbara shows her in profile, wearing a dark green gown with red trim. The muted grey-green of the background makes it difficult to distinguish Barbara's long brown hair, which flows over her right shoulder. According to her legend, Barbara was the daughter of a pagan nobleman who locked her in a tower to discourage suitors. She converted to Christianity and, in her father's absence, had workmen add a third window to her tower to honor the Holy Trinity. Her father was enraged when he returned and took her to the authorities. Just as she was martyred by her own father, he was struck dead by lightning. This sudden death associated with her own made Barbara the patron saint of miners and gunners. Barbara was very popular in the Middle Ages, but there is now some question about whether she really existed. Many of the accounts of her life are unhistorical, and no less than four cities claim to be the place of her death. In 1969, her feast day, December 4, was suppressed in the Roman calendar.

The artist who painted this work was from the studio of the great Italian painter Parmigianino. Born Francesco Mazzola, Parmigianino took his name from Parma, his birthplace, but spent part of his career in Rome, where he was acclaimed by some as "Raphael reborn." He painted in the Mannerist style that emerged in Italy in the years following Raphael's death in 1520; his distinctively sinuous, elongated human forms are typical of the maniera.

Andrea Vanni Italian (c.1332-c.1414) Saint Clare, c. 1360-70

Saint Clare is depicted here in the veil and heavy robe that are the habit of her religious order. She is shown standing against a gold background, her right hand extended in a gesture of blessing toward the earthenware jug at her feet. Saint Clare was born into a noble family in Assisi. As a young woman, she heard the preaching of Saint Francis and chose to follow him, renouncing her life of privilege. She founded the Order of Poor Clares and lived a life of poverty, focusing her energies on service and personal contemplation.

The artist Andrea Vanni worked in Siena, creating frescoes and altarpieces for the city's churches. His style is characterized by soft contours, light brushwork, and carefully observed detail. Vanni was a leading member of the political faction that ruled Siena for almost twenty years and belonged to that city's largest religious fraternity; some of his paintings were commissions for that group.

	Nicolas Régnier (Niccoló Renieri) Flemish? (c. 1590-1667) Portrait of a Man with a Feathered Hat, c. 1620

In this portrait, the artist Nicolas Régnier offers a bust-length view of an unknown young man. The sitter looks out at the viewer with a rather languid gaze, as if lost in thought. The quiet, somber mood of the work is enhanced by the dark background and by the man's heavy, black cloak and cap, which almost disappear into the background. Color is provided primarily by the red and yellow plumes of his hat.

Nicolas Régnier was a Flemish painter, one of several Northern artists whose style was strongly influenced by the Italian baroque artist Caravaggio. He worked in Rome and Venice, and his career benefited greatly from the patronage of Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani, a well-known Genoese collector and critic who lived in Rome. Through his relationship with Giustiniani and other wealthy international contacts, Régnier became a popular portrait painter. He also made a name for himself as a dealer and collector, owning works by such important artists as Tintoretto and Giorgione.