Artwork
Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio (copy after Anthony van Dyck)
Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio (copy after Anthony van Dyck) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Edward Penny. It dates from 1741 and is held in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.
About this work
Overview
This 1741 oil painting by Edward Penny is a copy after Anthony van Dyck, portraying a seated ecclesiastical figure in a red robe, identified as Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio. The work is characterized by a dark background with indistinct shapes and the subject holding a book.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio in formal, red ecclesiastical attire, with a white undershirt, holding a book in his left hand and resting his right arm on his lap, conveying an air of contemplation or scholarly demeanor.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint, the work adheres to the Rococo movement's aesthetic, as seen in its composition and the treatment of light and shadow, while also reflecting 17th-century European portraiture influences from Van Dyck's original.
History & Provenance
Created in 1741 by Edward Penny, a founding member of the Royal Academy, the painting is now part of the Ashmolean Museum's collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edward Penny (1 August 1714 – 16 November 1791) was an English portrait and historical painter, one of the founder members of the Royal Academy.
