Marià Fortuny. Il contino, 1861
Marià Fortuny. Il contino, 1861
This work is an early approach of Fortuny to the theme of genre and one of the works from his first Roman period in which he shows greater virtuosity. In front of the Baroque fountain of the gardens of Villa Borghese, there is a young man with an affected air and distant elegance, emphasised by the clothing from the 18th century - cassock, waistcoat and shirt, the sword and dusted wig. This is a figure that responds to a common type from the period, but to whom Fortuny imprints his own stamp. His artistic ability is appreciated in the subtleties with which he recreates the transparency of the water flowing from the fountain, the skill in distributing the shadows or in the splendid sense of colour.
Il contino, Marià Fortuny, 1861