1654
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Sheet of Satirical Studies (Amorini Riding Phalli) is a 1654 by Salvator Rosa, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This painting shows small mythological creatures riding strange objects. It's a mix of funny and weird things. The artist included a grotesque face and cupids to reference old motifs. The creatures and objects are from Classical and Renaissance times. The artist used these to show off his knowledge in a humorous way. You can learn more about similar art by looking up the technique of sfumato.
This outrageous and comical sheet stands out as one of the few existing examples of Rosa's representation of bawdy material. While Rosa was not interested in lewd imagery for vulgarity's sake, he certainly enjoyed intellectual jokes that advertised his erudite knowledge. The grotesque face at the right, and the cupids that ride the almost-elephantine phalli at center reference Classical and Renaissance motifs. Heads composed of objects-particularly the famous Testa di Cazzi ("head of penises")-were frequently used as decoration on Renaissance maiolica ceramics. This kind of imagery- like the…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Salvator Rosa (1615 – 15 March 1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticised landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into the early 19th century.
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