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Lot Essay
Il soggetto del dipinto, tratto dalle Metamorfosi di Ovidio, ebbe fortuna nella pittura barocca italiana almeno a partire dai prototipi di origine caravaggesca. Narciso, amato da molte donne per la sua bellezza, rifiut le profferte della ninfa Eco. Giunone condann Eco a ripetere per sempre le ultime parole di ci che le veniva detto, mentre Narciso fu costretto ad rimanere per sempre invaghito d'amore della sua immagine riflessa nell'acqua (cf. J. Hall, Dizionario dei soggetti e dei simboli nell'arte, Milano, 1983, p.294). Nel presente dipinto Narciso fissa sorridente lo specchio d'acqua mentre due ninfe lo spiano dietro l'albero a sinistra. Eco probabilmente identificabile nella figura femminile seduta presso l'albero sullo sfondo. Di Gregorio de Ferrari noto un disegno raffigurante Narciso a Washington, National Gallery of Arts, ed il tema fu trattato anche in un disegno di Paolo Gerolamo Piola a Genova, Palazzo Rosso, ed in un dipinto del figlio di Gregorio de Ferrari, Lorenzo, in collezione privata (cf. M. Newcome Schleier, in Kunst in der Republik Genua, 1528-1815, catalogo, Frankfurt, 1992, pp.216-217; e Eadem, Gregorio de Ferrari, Torino, 1998, pp.184-185). Tra tutte le opere citate, il disegno di Piola sembra offrire spunti per un raffronto con la figura di Narciso, che riproposta ribaltata nel presente dipinto.
The subject of this painting, based on the Metamorfoses of Ovid, was often depicted in the Italian Baroque period, in any case after the prototype by Caravaggio. Narcissus, who was admired by many women for his exceptional beauty, turned down the charms offered to him by the nimf Echo. Juno condamned Echo to always repeating the last words of what others said to her, while Narcissus was forced to remain forever besotted by his own image reflected in the water (cfr. J. Hall, Dictionary of subjects and symbols in art, Milano, 1983, p.294). In the present painting Narcissus smilingly stares at the water, with two nimfs who are secretly spying on him from behind the bushes beyond. The female figure seated beneath a tree in the background might be identifiable as Echo. A drawing representing Narcissus by Gregorio de Ferrari is currently at the Washington National Gallery of Arts. The same theme was also depicted by Paolo Gerolamo Piola at Genova, Palazzo Rosso, and by Gregorio de Ferrari's son, Lorenzo, in a private collection (cf.M. Newcome Schleier, in Kunst in der Republik Genua, 1528-1815, catalogue, Frankfurt, 1992, pp.216-217; and Eadem, Gregorio de Ferrari, Torino, 1998, pp.184-185). Amongst the cited works, the drawing by Piola seems to be most similar to the figure of Narcissus in the present painting, in which the same figure has been repeated in mirror image.
The subject of this painting, based on the Metamorfoses of Ovid, was often depicted in the Italian Baroque period, in any case after the prototype by Caravaggio. Narcissus, who was admired by many women for his exceptional beauty, turned down the charms offered to him by the nimf Echo. Juno condamned Echo to always repeating the last words of what others said to her, while Narcissus was forced to remain forever besotted by his own image reflected in the water (cfr. J. Hall, Dictionary of subjects and symbols in art, Milano, 1983, p.294). In the present painting Narcissus smilingly stares at the water, with two nimfs who are secretly spying on him from behind the bushes beyond. The female figure seated beneath a tree in the background might be identifiable as Echo. A drawing representing Narcissus by Gregorio de Ferrari is currently at the Washington National Gallery of Arts. The same theme was also depicted by Paolo Gerolamo Piola at Genova, Palazzo Rosso, and by Gregorio de Ferrari's son, Lorenzo, in a private collection (cf.M. Newcome Schleier, in Kunst in der Republik Genua, 1528-1815, catalogue, Frankfurt, 1992, pp.216-217; and Eadem, Gregorio de Ferrari, Torino, 1998, pp.184-185). Amongst the cited works, the drawing by Piola seems to be most similar to the figure of Narcissus in the present painting, in which the same figure has been repeated in mirror image.