Rinaldo and Armida
(Baroque Europe )
As described in Jerusalem Delivered, an epic poem by Torquato Tasso (1544-1595) set during the first crusade, the Christian knight Rinaldo has been drawn into the enchanted garden of the sorceress Armida. The mischievous cupid at center holding the hero's helmet calls attention to Rinaldo's transformation from warrior to forlorn lover. Two of Rinaldo's comrades are spying on the couple. They will later persuade Rinaldo to return to battle.
Characteristic of Rocca's paintings are the fluid brushwork, flickering lights, and luminescent colors, as can be seen in this study for a larger composition. The lightness, wit, and eroticism are all features that link Rocca to the French rococo.
For more information on this painting, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 400, pp. 511-512.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; [1881 catalogue: no. 301; 1897 catalogue: no. 784, as François Boucher]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Geographies
Italy, Rome (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H: 14 9/16 x W: 18 5/8 in. (37 x 47.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.879