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Antonio Gionima

Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph in the Carpenter Shop, 1731

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Antonio Gionima, 1697-1732, Italian

Title

Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph in the Carpenter Shop

Year

1731

Medium

Red and white chalk on laid paper

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • chalk

Supports

  • White paper turned buff

Dimensions

27.5 x 20.9 cm (10 13/16 x 8 3/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

A letter by the artist on the recto:

"Al Molt. Ill[ust]re Sig[no]r P[ad]ron[e] Os[servandissi]mo
Il Sig[nor] …. ….. M…..i
I….la ? (Imola?)

Caris[si]mo Amico,

Non mi avendo permesso i miei affari [.]l tempo per fare
Il presente disegno percio’ non ho potuto servirvi, che
D’un semplice schizzo, che servira’ per il pensiere, regolan-
Dovi nel dipingerlo, col vedere ciascheduna cosa dal
Vero, particolarmente, le Teste mani e piedi, esendo
Questo esenziale per divenire buon pitore, come e esen-
Ziale il respirare per vivere, e lasciate pure dire a li
Pitori manierati, che vagli esere la mente che operi
Pretendendo essi corregere il naturale, quando non lo
Voliano osservare e non lo sano imitare come egli e’. Ma se la virtu’ della
Pitura consiste nella immitatione della natura per
Conseguenza, chi piu’ l’oservera’ et imitera’, divera’
Certamente miglior Pitore, chi meno l’immitera’
Divera’ pegiore. Acetate (?) per non m’inoltrar d’avantagio
Si il disegno come il sopradeto, essendo non men l’uno
Che l’altro, effeti del zello che o’ di giovarvi, e resto
Di voi
Aff[e]t[ionatissi]mo Amico di Cuore

Antonio Gionima

Bologna 23 Maggio 1731"

Translation of letter by Jamie Gabbarelli

“To the very illustrious and most respected master
Signor Giovanni Morini
Imola

My dearest friend,
Since my affairs have not afforded me the time to make the present drawing, I have only been able to serve you with a simple sketch, which shall serve as a first thought. But take heed while you are painting it to observe everything from life, in particular, the heads, hands, and feet - this being as essential to becoming a good painter as breathing is to living. And let the mannered painters claim that it is the mind that creates, presuming as they do to correct nature, when in fact they do not want to observe it and are not able to imitate it just as it is. But if the virtue of painting lies in the imitation of nature, accordingly he who most observes and imitates it shall certainly become a better painter, while he who departs from its imitation shall be a worse one. Accept, lest I go on further, both the drawing and my advice, since they both are the result of the desire I have to benefit you, and I remain
your most affectionate and heartfelt friend,
Antonio Gionima
Bologna 23 May 1731”

Type

  • Works on Paper,
  • Drawings and Watercolors

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

58.157

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Drawing Closer

March 12 - September 4, 2022

Mary holds the infant Jesus on her lap as she points to Joseph working at his carpenter’s table. The intimacy of the scene is overshadowed by ominous references to the planks of the cross on which Jesus will die. Gionima drew this sketch in red and white chalk on the back of a letter to one of his pupils, who had asked Gionima to provide a composition he could copy in painting. In the text, Gionima stresses that this first thought should be supplemented by sketching “heads, hands, and feet” from life—an “essential” step to becoming a good painter. The sheet openly reveals its function, exhibiting folds, tears, and even traces of the red wax used to seal the letter.

Italian Drawings from the Museum's Collection

March 17 - April 16, 1961

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 Madonna and Child with Saint Joseph in the Carpenter Shop with the accession number of 58.157. 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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