Karl Bryullov
Karl Bryullov's bright talent and picturesque temperament put him at the top of Russian academic art in the first half of the 19th century. Even his contemporaries noted the extraordinary versatility of the artist's talent: he was equally successful in historical paintings, genre paintings, landscapes, and, of course, portraits. A special dramatic gift of the artist was shown in portrait and history painting. In the guise of his characters, he sought to reveal the richness and passion of human nature, the loftiness of aspirations.
In the collection of the Museum of the Russian Academy of Fine Art is this portrait of the Italian Opera singer Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani. The picture was painted by Bryullov in 1834, during his retirement trip to Italy, where the artist not only gained a wide range of acquaintances in the creative environment, but also received many orders to paint portraits. Karl Bryullov was particularly interested in the theater; among his friends were many leading artists of the Italian stage. Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani was a prima donna of La Scala, a favorite theatre of the artist.
Bryullov presented the singer in the role of Amina in La Sonnambula, by Vincenzo Bellini. Amina is a peasant girl, so the artist depicts her against the background of nature, in a simple dress, with a straw hat on her head and a modest bouquet of flowers in her hands. Her black hair, parted in the middle and pulled back in braids, accentuates the whiteness of her skin. In this portrait, Bryullov recognizes the type of female beauty that is known from the artist's numerous paintings on the theme of Italian life.
We present today's painting thanks to the Scientific Research Museum of the Russian Academy : )
P.S. Go for a Roman holiday and see Italian landscapes through the eyes of Russian artists. Here's your ticket!