Artwork
Diego Pignatelli d'Aragona (1687–1750)
Diego Pignatelli d'Aragona (1687–1750) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Francesco Solimena. It dates from 1731 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Solimena's rendering emphasizes naturalistic detail, positioning Pignatelli d'Aragona as a figure of status and refinement within Neapolitan society.
The portrait depicts Diego Pignatelli d'Aragona, a Neapolitan aristocrat, painted in 1731 by Francesco Solimena.
The composition centers on the sitter's dignified presence, conveyed through refined attire and poised posture, aligning with the conventions of aristocratic portraiture of the period. Solimena's rendering emphasizes naturalistic detail, positioning Pignatelli d'Aragona as a figure of status and refinement within Neapolitan society. The work's iconography underscores the sitter's social standing rather than overt allegorical or symbolic content, reflecting the portrait's function as a representation of identity and prestige.
Technique & Style
Francesco Solimena executed the 1731 portrait of Diego Pignatelli d'Aragona using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 59.1 cm in height and 46.4 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the painting depicts the sitter as a man, adhering to the conventions of the genre while utilizing the artist's characteristic handling of oil on canvas to render the subject.
History & Provenance
Francesco Solimena executed this oil-on-canvas portrait of Diego Pignatelli d'Aragona in 1731. The work depicts the sitter as a man and measures 59.1 cm in height by 46.4 cm in width. Following its creation in the early eighteenth century, the painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is currently housed.
Specific accession numbers are not detailed in the available records, and no exhibition history is documented for the work.
Overview
Francesco Solimena, a notable Italian Baroque artist from a family of painters, completed this oil portrait of Diego Pignatelli d'Aragona in 1731. The painting captures the likeness of its titled subject, who lived from 1687 to 1750. This work is currently housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing Solimena's mature period.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Solimena (4 October 1657 – 3 April 1747) was a prolific Italian Baroque painter, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen.
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