Barbara Longhi

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• What is Barbara Longhi known for?+

  Barbara Longhi is known for her small devotional paintings, particularly Madonna and Child compositions. Her contemporary reputation was based on portraiture, although only one portrait is known to survive.
• What is Barbara Longhi's most famous work?+

  Pietro Longhi (1702-85) is best known for his paintings of 18th-century Venetian life. Although he began with mythological and religious subjects, he shifted to genre scenes, influenced by Giuseppe Maria Crespi. He also studied engravings of Antoine Watteau, and his drawings show an affinity with French Rococo artists. Longhi's genre paintings often resembled those of his French contemporaries. Two examples are *The Married Couple’s Breakfast* and *Blindman’s Buff* (both 1744); these were owned by the British consul in Venice, Joseph Smith, and later entered the collection of George III. One of Longhi's more unusual paintings is *The Rhinoceros* (1751). It depicts a rhinoceros on display during Carnival in Venice. Longhi included portraits of the rhinoceros's owner and the patron, Giovanni Grimani, among the onlookers. The painting's natural lighting and attention to detail create a sense of realism. During his lifetime, Longhi's work was compared to that of Carlo Goldoni, who sought truth in his plays. Goldoni even wrote a sonnet in 1750 comparing Longhi's art to his own. Longhi's paintings were popular among Venetian families and European courts.
• What should I know about Barbara Longhi's prints?+

  Information about prints by Barbara Longhi is scarce. However, some general information about fine art prints may be helpful. Since the mid-20th century, printmaking has become more accepted as a significant art form. The practice of printmaking allows artists to explore aesthetic concepts, and it has been revitalised by artists across the world. Prints are often produced in limited editions, with each print numbered and signed by the artist. The numbering indicates the print's position in the edition (e.g., 12/25 means it is the twelfth print out of an edition of 25). Some artists also create a small number of artist's proofs, marked with "AP". The limited number of prints available often increases their value to collectors. An original print is conceived and executed solely as a print, with each print individually inked and pulled from the matrix. This differs from a reproduction, which is a copy of a work originally created in another medium. The Professional Art Dealers Association of Canada has established a definition of an original print, which is accepted by major arts organisations in the country.
• What style or movement did Barbara Longhi belong to?+

  Barbara Longhi was an Italian painter working in the late Renaissance period, specifically the second half of the 16th century. Her father, Luca Longhi, was a painter of some local standing in Ravenna, and she is thought to have trained with him. Though not much is known about her life, she remained in Ravenna, unmarried, and enjoyed a successful career there. Stylistically, Longhi's work is associated with the late Mannerist and early Baroque styles. She is best known for her small-scale paintings of the Madonna and Child; these works reflect the influence of Raphael and Correggio. Her paintings are characterised by their delicate beauty, gentle emotion, and refined technique. Though she produced some history paintings and portraits, her depictions of the Virgin Mary are the works for which she is most recognised.
• What techniques or materials did Barbara Longhi use?+

  Oil paint was a common medium available to painters of Longhi's era. Artists often began with a white ground layer to make colours reflective. An underdrawing defined contours, and a thin, transparent imprimatura layer established a middle tone. The artist could then add highlights in white paint. Colour was applied as thin, transparent glazes, allowing the underpainting to define forms. Highlights used the thinnest possible application of local colour, while dark tones required many layers to cover the underdrawing. The smooth surface meant brushes with soft hair were needed, and pigments were tempered with a fluid oil medium, possibly thinned with turpentine. Linseed oil, which dried quickly, was likely used.
• When did Barbara Longhi live and work?+

  Barbara Longhi was born in Ravenna in 1552^[1] and died there in 1638^[1]. Her father was the painter Luca Longhi, and she remained in his workshop throughout her career. Details of Longhi's life are scarce. She never married, and her activity seems to have been largely confined to Ravenna. She gained notice at a young age; in 1570^[1], when Longhi was around eighteen years old, a local historian, Girolamo Rossi, wrote that she was "a girl who paints very well". He stated that she was following in the style of her father, and that "in Ravenna she is doing things that are marvelled at". Longhi primarily painted small-scale devotional works, particularly depictions of the Virgin and Child. These paintings were popular with local patrons, and she appears to have enjoyed a successful, if quiet, career in her native city.
• Who did Barbara Longhi influence?+

  It is difficult to identify specific artists who were directly influenced by Barbara Longhi, as her artistic contributions have often been understood through the lens of her male contemporaries. During the early nineteenth century, local writers chronicled the artistic achievements of Bolognese women. However, the works by Bolognese women relate more directly to that of their male contemporaries than to that of other women. Lavinia Fontana is understood as the disciple of her father, Prospero, and Elisabetta Sirani is seen as a follower of Guido Reni. During the seventeenth century, Elisabetta Sirani and her female followers developed a subspecialisation in pictures of heroines from antiquity, produced for a small group of Bolognese private collectors whose taste for such subjects is documented in inventories and in a few extant works. The high percentage of such subjects among the works of seventeenth-century Bolognese female painters suggests that patrons found particular appeal in having heroic women painted by women artists whose own achievements may have been seen as analogous to accomplishments by ancient women that were also viewed as atypical of their sex.
• Who influenced Barbara Longhi?+

  Barbara Longhi (1552^[1]-1638^[1]) was an Italian painter from Ravenna. As the daughter of painter Luca Longhi, her initial artistic influence came from her father's workshop. Luca, a well-regarded artist in Ravenna, likely provided Barbara with her earliest training and exposure to painting techniques. Beyond her father, it is thought that she was influenced by local artists of the period, such as those in the circle of Correggio and Parmigianino. These artists were known for their graceful figures and use of colour, elements that are reflected in Longhi's work. Although documentation is lacking, it is reasonable to assume that Longhi would have studied the works of other established artists through prints or drawings. The artistic environment of Ravenna, while not as prominent as Florence or Rome, would still have offered Longhi access to a range of artistic styles and ideas, which would have helped shape her own unique approach to painting.
• Who was Barbara Longhi?+

  Pietro Longhi (1702-85) was an Italian painter who captured scenes of 18th-century Venetian life. Although his earliest works were on mythological and religious subjects, he moved away from narrative painting to concentrate on genre scenes. Longhi's interest in everyday life was influenced by the works of Giuseppe Maria Crespi. Some early biographers suggest he entered Crespi’s studio in Bologna as an assistant sometime after 1718. He also became familiar with the art of Antoine Watteau through volumes of engravings sent to Rosalba Carriera in Venice. Longhi's affinity with French Rococo artists, such as Watteau and Nicolas Lancret, is evident in his drawings; for example, Young Man Sprawled in a Chair (c. 1760, Staatliche Museen, Berlin). Many of Longhi's early genre subjects are similar to those of his French contemporaries. Two examples are The Married Couple’s Breakfast and Blindman’s Buff (both 1744, Windsor Castle, Windsor), which were owned by Joseph Smith, the British consul in Venice, and later entered the collection of George III. Other paintings by Longhi were more unusual and tied to life in contemporary Venice. The Rhinoceros (1751, Ca’Rezzonico, Venice) shows the viewing of an exotic animal on display during Carnival in 1751. During his lifetime, the innovative quality of Longhi's work was compared to that of Carlo Goldoni in the theatre, who dismissed the artificial conventions of the commedia dell’arte in favour of plots based on his observations of daily life. Longhi's work was popular with prominent Venetian families and well known in European court circles.
• Why are Barbara Longhi's works important today?+

  Barbara Longhi (1552^[1]-1638^[1]) was an Italian painter from Ravenna. She was the daughter of the painter Luca Longhi, from whom she likely received her training. Although details of her life are scarce, she achieved recognition as an artist in her own time, mainly for her paintings of female saints and Madonnas. Longhi's works are significant as examples of female artistic achievement in a period when women faced considerable obstacles to entering the art world. Her paintings offer insight into the artistic conventions and religious sensibilities of the late Renaissance. They also provide a perspective on the representation of women in religious art, executed by a woman artist. Interest in Longhi's art has grown in recent years, as scholars and curators seek to recover the contributions of women artists throughout history. Her paintings are now included in major museum collections, and she is recognised as an important figure in the history of Italian art.
• What was Barbara Longhi's art style?+

  Longhi's art style features quiet, warm colouring and a simplicity of arrangement, aligning with Counter-Reformation tastes. Her work shows the influence of Raphael, Correggio, Parmigianino, and Sofonisba Anguissola.
• When was Barbara Longhi born?+

  Barbara Longhi was born in 1552^[1]. Barbara Longhi died in 1638^[1], aged 86.