Jan 29, 2018
Jan 29, 2018
Jan 29, 2018
Feb 3, 2020

Portrait of Francesca Gommi Maratti

Portrait of Francesca Gommi Maratti

c. 1701

Carlo Maratti

(Italian, 1625–1713)

Oil on canvas

Overall: 98.5 x 74.5 cm (38 3/4 x 29 5/16 in.)

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 2018.1

Did you know?

The sitter holds a drawing representing Venus making Cupid's weapons, symbolizing the power of love to conquer all.

Description

In 1700 Carlo Maratti’s wife died, permitting him to marry his longtime mistress, Francesca Gommi, who began modeling for the artist in the 1670s and was the mother of his only child, Faustina. This painting was presumably painted shortly after the marriage as an homage from the artist to his new wife. To introduce an allegorical element into the composition, Maratti included a painting within a painting—in this case a drawing depicting Venus forging the love-darts of her adolescent son Cupid, suggesting that love will conquer all.

See also

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.