An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Portrait of Giuseppe Alberto de Ambiveri, Vicar of the Mines of Bergamoc. 1740
Artist: Giuseppe Ghislandi, called Fra Galgario
Italian (Bergamo), 1655 - 1743
Portrait of Giuseppe Alberto de Ambiveri
48 1/8 x 34 in. (122.24 x 86.36 cm) (canvas)
Oil on canvas
Painting
Italy
18th century
The William Hood Dunwoody Fund
In the tranquil hills of Bergamo, northern Italy, a family of artists flourished amidst the whispers of creativity and inspiration. Among them was Giuseppe Ghislandi, a masterful portraitist, whose brush danced with a graceful union of naturalistic detail and baroque flourish. Each stroke captured not only the external form of his sitters but also the very essence of their spirits, breathing life into painted canvases.
In 1703, Ghislandi took a significant step on his artistic journey. Within the hallowed walls of the Galgario monastery, he found both a refuge and a source of profound inspiration. It was here, among the monks and the sacred silence, that he adopted the name that would follow him throughout time — a name echoing with reverence in the halls of art history.
One particular portrait, a striking image that captures a moment frozen in time, is marked by an intricate detail. The subject, poised elegantly, gestures toward a letter clasped in his hand. The letter serves as a whisper of identity, revealing his name and status as the "Vicar of the mines of Bergamo." As one gazes deeper into the painting, the inscription in the upper left corner of the canvas comes into focus, existing outside the painted oval frame as if it too desires to share its story.
It denotes him as the son of Francesco Ferrante Ambiverim, a nobleman whose lineage intertwines with the prestige of the portrayed. And as the viewer's eyes linger, they catch another cryptic element, "Co:/I.V.D.Collg.s." This morsel of text beckons curiosity, hinting at a fellowship or body of worthies to which both man and portrait were likely connected.
Through Ghislandi's artistry, we’re invited into a world where stories coalesce into form, where the lives of those once lived are immortalized on canvas, whispering their tales through generations. Each brush stroke pulls us closer, revealing not just the identities encapsulated in paint but the very soul of a moment in time, a testament to the enduring power of art.
About the artist
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