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Francesco Villamena

The Brawl of Bruttobuono, 1601

Description

Maker

  • Francesco Villamena, 1566-1624, Italian, engraver

Title

The Brawl of Bruttobuono

Year

1601

Medium

Engraving on paper

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • ink

Supports

  • paper

Dimensions

Sheet: 38.6 x 50.8 cm (15 3/16 x 20 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Lettered LL, within image: "F. Villamena / Inventor". Lettered below image: "All'Ill.mo Sig.r Pro.n mio Col.mo Il Sig.r Ciriaco Mattei [...] Francesco Villamena 1601"

Identification

State

i/ii

Type

  • Works on Paper,
  • Prints

Credit

Georgianna Sayles Aldrich Fund

Object Number

2008.19.2

Projects & Publications

Publications

The Brilliant Line

Following the Early Modern Engraver, 1480-1650
Read Online

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Brilliant Line

September 18, 2009 - January 3, 2010

Here, Francesco Villamena created a composition of his own invention. Utilizing few types of marks, which are widely spaced and exceptionally neat, and allowing the white of the page to play an important role in defining light and dark, Villamena’s engraving system emphasizes a dynamic sense of rhythm and design. Moiré patterns, made from lines crossed at slight angles, dominate the most heavily shaded areas.

The engraving is dedicated to the great patron of the arts Ciriaco Mattei (1542–1614), whose villa appears in the background. Spanish possession of territories in Southern Italy was widely contested in this period by various foreign powers. Villamena shows a street brawl between the so-called Bruttobuono, a supporter of the Spanish, and stone-throwing pro-French thugs. The sinister cloaked figure at far left is about to attack the doomed Bruttobuono with a sword. The pro-Spanish Mattei apparently gave sanctuary to the mortally wounded Bruttobuono in this real-life event.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is The Brawl of Bruttobuono with the accession number of 2008.19.2. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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