Beschreibung:

Giovanni Francesco Romanelli called Il ViterbeseViterbo 1610 - 1662Narcissus gazing at his own reflection
oil on coppercopper: 13¼ by 17¾ in.; 33.7 by 45.1 cm. framed: 25⅝ by 30⅛ in.; 60.1 by 76.5 cm.Condition reportThe work is on a single flat sheet of copper that is unreinforced on the reverse. The painting is in excellent condition: the image presently very strongly and the copper's sheen has been retained beneath the well-preserved and stable paint layers. Inspection under UV light reveals a few tiny spots of retouching in the blue mountains of the background and in the foliage at the upper right. The painting appears to have been recently restored and should be hung in its current condition. Offered in an elaborately carved and gilded auricular Florentine frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceAnonymous sale, Paris, Drouot Richelieu, 16 April 2008, lot 5 (as Bolognese School, circle of Marcantonio Franceschini);
Where acquired by the present owner.Catalogue noteAlthough Romanelli spent the majority of his career in Rome, where he enjoyed extensive patronage from the Barberini family, this work relates to his most important French commission. In 1646, Cardinal Jules Mazarin invited the artist to Paris to decorate the new galleries of the Hôtel de Chevry-Tubeuf (now the Galerie Mazarine in the Bibliothèque Nationale), intended to house Mazarin's impressive art collection. Romanelli decorated the ceiling with mythological scenes and allegorical figures framed in gilt stucco. Among them is a Narcissus that relates closely to the present work: though the composition is reversed, the figure's pose, with his impressively foreshortened head, and drapery all correspond. 
According to Ovid's Metamorphoses (3:339-510), the nymph Echo fell madly in love with the handsome Narcissus. As punishment for spurning her advances, he was condemned to fall in love with his own reflection. Engrossed by his likeness, the rapt Narcissus raises his left hand, as though about to brush back his auburn locks. The copper medium is particularly suited to the subject as the support's sheen glistens much as Narcissus's own reflection would have in a pool of water.