An artwork on Galleree from Minneapolis Institute of Art.
About the artwork
Nymphs at the Bathc. 1600
Artist: Scarsellino (Ippolito Scarsella)
Italian (Ferrara), 1551 - 1620
Nymphs bathing
47 1/2 x 69 5/8 in. (120.65 x 176.85 cm) (canvas)
Oil on canvas
Painting
Italy
16th-17th century
The Special Arts Reserve Fund
Picture a tranquil afternoon in the sixteenth century, where the air is filled with whispers of the past, and the sun casts a warm glow over the rustic landscapes of Ferrara. This is an era when artists began to breathe life back into the classical traditions that defined earlier times. Among them was Ippolito Scarsella, a master painter whose brush captured the essence of nature, divinity, and human experience.
As the curtain rises on this golden age of painting, the revival of the pastoral drama bursts forth—a theatrical celebration of simple joys and the idyllic charm of rural life. These plays tenderly idealized the pleasures of bucolic existence, drawing people into a fantasy world where harmony with nature reigns. Scarsella, ever attuned to the rhythms of this artistic revival, sought to reflect this spirit in his work.
Imagine stepping into one of his paintings, where the tranquility of water dances beneath a sun-dappled sky. Here, water nymphs known as Naiads emerge from their crystalline depths, embodiments of fertility and growth. They frolic in gentle undulations, their laughter mingling with the soft lapping of waves. The Naiads are worshipped as goddesses in Greek mythology, and Scarsella paints their beauty with a reverence that suggests not just their ethereal grace but also their vital connection to the life force of the earth.
In this peaceful scene, we find Ippolito Scarsella himself, the most important painter of Ferrara, commanding the craft in this flourishing phase of artistic prowess. His landscapes serve as a bridge to the future, crafting visions that would lay the groundwork for the landscape painting tradition to come in the seventeenth century. Here, as the sun sets behind serene hills and lush greenery, the stories of the earth and its divine inhabitants unfurl before us—capturing a moment in which humanity, nature, and art beautifully intertwine.
About the artist
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