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A Classical Poet (Domenico Fetti) - Nationalmuseum - 23757
Summary
This imaginary portrait of a classical poet was part of a series of nine celebrated poets painted for the ducal court at Mantua. Following Caravaggio’s lead, Fetti chose as his model an ordinary man, depicted without idealisation and with a strong physical presence. The poet is portrayed as a mature man with a weather-beaten face and an inward-looking expression. His balding head is crowned with laurels, since antiquity a mark of distinction reserved for the victor, whether emperor or poet. A soft light is focused on the sensitively modelled face and powerful hands. Fetti brings to life the inspired poet beneath the coarse exterior, offering the viewer a portrait of the classical poet as intensely human as it is distinctly unheroic.
Domenico Fetti was an Italian Baroque painter born in Rome around 1589. He trained with Ludovico Cigoli and later worked with Guido Reni in Bologna. Fetti's style was influenced by Caravaggio and he is known for his dramatic use of light and shadow. Fetti's early works were religious paintings, but he later became famous for his portraits. His most famous painting is 'Melancholy' (1620), which depicts a woman lost in thought and surrounded by symbolic objects. Fetti's career was cut short when he died at the age of 34. However, his influence on Baroque art was significant and his works can be found in museums and collections around the world.
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