I was tagging the pictures I took during my quick visit to St Petersburg last month when I got stuck in the painting above. I cannot remember neither the title nor the author, and all my Googling efforts have proven to be unsuccessful. I was even willing to pay the Turk but unfortunately it only works in the States. All I know is that the painting is in the Hermitage Museum, any ideas?
I pay in beers ;)
*** Update *** We got an answer: it seems to be «Alexandre and Arianne» by Giulio Romano, many thanks Mariam!!! He was an Italian painter and “a prominent pupil of Raphael”. I get some references to him in the Museum’s website, but I still don’t get any mention to this particular painting.
*** More info *** The Italian Wikipedia article for Giulio Romano mentions the painting “Due amanti, 1523-1524 ca, olio su tavola trasferito su tela, 163 x 337 cm, San Pietroburgo, Ermitage” which I believe is actually the one above. Therefore the title would be Due Amanti (Two Lovers) instead of “Alexandre and Arianne”.
In this other article published in The Art Bulletin the author speaks about the woman in the right:
Giulio Romano was also familiar with Rome’s courtesans and their patrons. [...] Two Lovers, now in the Hermitage, showing a courtesan and her male lover on a bed with a procuress peeking in at the couple from a doorway on the right.
Giulio Romano is definitely the author, and the woman is oh surprise procuring (a pimp).
Finally I also found an interesting reference in a 20 years old article from New York Times where John Russell makes a review of Giulio Romano and his paintings. And he also mentions the Two Lovers:
Measuring 6 feet 5 inches by 11 feet 2 inches, it has the character of a frieze scene in close-up, with the lovers, the tumbled bed, the discarded clothes and many another apposite detail rendered with an even-handed precision that looks forward to David, Ingres and Courbet. It also includes an eavesdropping crone. Whether she is enemy or accomplice, we cannot tell. But what Giulio does with her bunch of keys and her overexcited little dog is something to see.







10 responses so far ↓
tripu // January 4, 2009 at 21:25 |
Uh, oh… yes, of course.
Err… the painting is “Lad Caught Red-Handed By Chick’s Mom”. In some texts you’ll find the alternative title “Next Time Lock The Door, Dude”.
Painted by, err, Thobias di Arequipa II. That’s it.
You owe me a beer!
(I don’t know why the sweat; I don’t even like beer!)
tripu // January 4, 2009 at 21:27 |
Seriously… what a beautiful painting.
zugaldia // January 5, 2009 at 00:46 |
It had to be you… but wait, you made a good point. The woman appearing from the right isn’t the mother or anything, actually she’s kind of getting out of a wardrobe, like a maid taking care of them?
lapuce // January 5, 2009 at 18:18 |
My guess would be something like “Servant spying at [name of ancient gods]”
Good luck!
Mariam // January 5, 2009 at 19:45 |
Have a look here
Bises
http://images.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http://galatea.univ-tlse2.fr/pictura/UtpicturaServeur/Images/NePasOuvrir/0/A0396.jpg&imgrefurl=http://galatea.univ-tlse2.fr/pictura/UtpicturaServeur/GenerateurNotice.php%3Fnumnotice%3DA0396&usg=__yiOycHGcAgFpy9FVjF51adKkXis=&h=257&w=539&sz=39&hl=fr&start=2&sig2=yguR2o46IEbflaK0uNgY3g&um=1&tbnid=Ymwg6oQ7E8vUdM:&tbnh=63&tbnw=132&ei=qEZiSbf5EYm0jAfRvpi0Dw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpeinture%2Bermitage%2Bcouple%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dfr%26sa%3DN
Arkangel // January 5, 2009 at 21:31 |
Me ha picado un montón la curiosidad y he gastado como media hora viendo cuadritos :)
Siento decirte que no tengo respuesta, pero he encontrado otra foto del cuadro: http://picasaweb.google.com/BhanPK/ART#5225463988317018594
Tambien sin título.. y mira que en esa galería casi todas lo tienen.
Saludos!
zugaldia // January 6, 2009 at 14:24 |
@mariam: you’re my heroine, how did you manage? I still don’t find information about the painting, but now the research is much easier. Gracias!! Pity you don’t like beer ;)
@ark: mira el comentario de mariam, parece que tenemos un ganador.
Mariam // January 6, 2009 at 17:22 |
I am not too picky, just some Marcolini chocolates will do it! It took me lots of effort to find it believe me…
zugaldia // January 6, 2009 at 22:55 |
Deal, when are you coming to Brussels to pick them up? :)
Arkangel // January 7, 2009 at 21:06 |
Eso me pasa por no leer los comentarios.
Enhorabuena por tu búsqueda, parece que esto del internet (y las personas) siguen funcionando. :)