Campi Brothers - Prudence

This painting clearly belongs to the "Grotesque" genre. Grotesques are a particular pictorial decoration that originated in Rome during the Augustan era and was completely ignored, hidden, and destroyed for centuries until it was rediscovered and made famous towards the end of the 15th century when the frescoes of the Domus Aurea came to light. In a cultural environment like that between the 15th and 16th centuries, which was absolutely predisposed to the recovery of antiquity, this discovery had a profound impact on contemporary artists and patrons. Thus, grotesque subjects became widespread in the decoration of palace interiors. The genre involves the creation of a fantastical space made of slender architectural elements populated by bizarre figures of sphinxes, satyrs, winged genies, and other mythical creatures. A central theme always dominates, in this case the representation of a cardinal virtue. In the panel in question, we find the figure of Prudence, recognizable by the iconographic attribute of the mirror with which she looks back.

The style is fully in line with 16th-century grotesque art. The artist uses a slender, calligraphic line to create a fantastical space constructed of fragile architecture in which two naked beings move. Everything seems suspended in an ethereal lightness that is typical of this artistic product. Furthermore, the grotesque's distinctly illusory, trompe-l'oeil quality is absolutely unique, suggesting a breach in the wall, enlarging the space for which they were intended. Another fundamental rule is the absolute symmetry of the composition, which centers on the main figure and, consequently, the proportional development of all other decorations. To maintain an ancient feel, the artist adopts a deliberately archaic formal language, imitating Roman wall paintings.

The panel has been attributed to the workshop of the Campi Brothers. Giulio, Antonio, and Vincenzo Campi were three artists from Cremona who founded a thriving workshop active in 16th-century Lombardy. Highly sought after for both religious and secular commissions, their artistic career is characterized by a progressive evolution from a predominantly Mannerist style to a naturalism and realism inspired by Northern Italy and typically Lombardy, which also anticipates Caravaggio's work.

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