The Continence of Scipio
Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini·c. 1710
Historical Context
Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini's Continence of Scipio from around 1710 depicts the Roman general's noble refusal to take a captured woman as his prize, a classical exemplar of virtue that was popular in Baroque and Rococo painting. Pellegrini was a pioneering figure in the Venetian Rococo, whose international career brought Italian decorative painting to England, Germany, France, and the Low Countries.
Technical Analysis
Pellegrini's oil-on-canvas technique features his characteristic rapid, fluid brushwork and light, luminous palette. The dynamic composition and theatrical gestures demonstrate the decorative energy that made him one of the most sought-after painters for European palace decorations.
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio; (Ernest Joresco, Chicago, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1; James G. McMillan [d. 1965], Chicago, probably consigned to Ernest Joresco 1
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