Robilant+Voena is delighted to announce the acquisition by the Uffizi Galleries, Florence, of a rare painting by Giacomo Ceruti (1698–1767).
The Portrait of a Moor, depicting a Black beggar, is unique among Ceruti’s oeuvre, the only instance in which he represents a Black figure of the poorer classes with the same dignity that he accords to his white subjects. This is a significant addition to the Uffizi’s 18th-century collections, acquired under the direction of Simone Verde, demonstrating the museum’s commitment to its mission of creating a comprehensive history of Italian painting.
This naturalistic depiction is among the earliest known portraits of a Black African in Italian painting; Black figures had appeared in Italian art since the Renaissance, but almost always as generic ‘types’, in set roles such as magi or servants. Yet here, Ceruti – nicknamed ‘Il Pitochetto’, meaning ‘Little Beggar’ – paints the figure with an empathy and realism akin to his treatment of other such protagonists from the margins of society for which he is best known, including chimney sweeps and peasants. The proximity of the three-quarter length figure and his monumental presence against the landscape elevate his humble status and inspire pathos, while the careful study of his face and tattered clothing suggest this was indeed a real person that the artist encountered during his years in Brescia.
The story behind the painting remains intriguing, as the sight of a Black beggar in the Lombardian countryside would have been a rarity in the 18th century. Black Africans were brought to northern Italy, but in fewer numbers than in other regions of Italy and Europe; those who did arrive in the area almost exclusively entered into service of noble families, since the presence of Black servants in a household was viewed among the wealthier classes as a mark of status and a point of curiosity. Thus, the destitution of this beggar depicted by Ceruti is even more unusual, testifying to the reality of a Black figure outside the realm of domestic service.
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