Andromeda: The Journey of a Painting Between Myth and Attributions
Roberto ZampieriThe painting representing Andromeda, inspired by the famous poem *Metamorphoses* by Ovid, tells a story of sacrifice, vanity and redemption. The work depicts a dramatic moment taken from classical mythology: Andromeda, daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, is chained to a rock, offered as a sacrifice to a sea urchin sent by the god Poseidon at the request of the Nereids.
The latter, deeply offended by the presumption of Cassiopeia, who boasted of being more beautiful than them, asked Poseidon to punish the queen's vanity. The divine punishment resulted in a sea monster that terrorized the Ethiopian coasts, requiring the sacrifice of the young Andromeda.
The scene immortalized in the painting captures the moment when Perseus, fresh from his victory over Medusa, arrives in flight to save the princess. The tension of the moment is palpable: Andromeda, portrayed in a pose of resigned expectation, observes the approach of her savior, while the monster approaches threateningly. The sky above her is calm, and in the distance, a boat with unsuspecting witnesses ploughs through the calm waters, unaware of the impending drama.
The painting has long been an enigma to art historians. Its presence in the Borghese collection is first documented in 1693, when it was attributed to Annibale Carracci, one of the most celebrated artists of the Italian Renaissance.
Throughout the eighteenth century, the work was believed to be by Giuseppe Cesari, better known as Cavalier d'Arpino, another giant of painting of the period. This attribution held up until the nineteenth century, when new studies began to question the origin of the painting.
In 1932, the German art historian Fritz Voss proposed that the work was created by Rutilio Manetti, a lesser-known Sienese painter who was highly regarded for his baroque style and his ability to infuse deep realism into sacred and mythological scenes. However, this theory did not immediately find consensus, and for several decades the attribution to Manetti was temporarily set aside.
It was only in 1959, with the intervention of Paola della Pergola, that the attribution to Manetti was definitively accepted. The scholar reported the painting in the catalogue of the Sienese artist's works, based on a series of stylistic analyses and comparisons with other certain works by Manetti.
The work has been dated around 1612, a period in which the artist was developing his style in a direction that historians call 'proto-naturalist'. In 2010, Marco Gallo proposed an even more precise dating, suggesting that the painting was made between 1611 and 1612, at the height of Manetti's creative phase.
The iconography of the painting is distinguished by some peculiar details compared to the classical narration of Ovid. The figure of Andromeda, with her complex hairstyle and resigned expression, differs from traditional representations, where the princess is often depicted in the grip of terror.
The sea, usually rough in depictions of this myth, appears calm, suggesting a sort of inner peace or a trust in the imminent destiny. In the background, the presence of a boat with unsuspecting witnesses adds a touch of realism to the scene, anchoring the myth in a more earthly context.
This painting, through its long and complex history of attributions, is not only a work of art, but a witness to the continuous evolution of art-historical knowledge and appreciation.
From Annibale Carracci to Rutilio Manetti, passing through the Cavalier d'Arpino, the canvas has undergone centuries of study and interpretation, finally arriving at a stable place within the corpus of an artist whose rediscovery continues to offer new and fascinating perspectives on the Italian Baroque.
Who is Rutilio Manetti?
Rutilio Manetti (1571 – 22 July 1639) was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance, active mainly in Siena. His work is characterized by a transition from the Mannerist to the Baroque style, influenced by the pictorial innovations of Caravaggio.
Life and Career
Manetti was born in Siena in 1571. Not much is known about his artistic training, but it is assumed that he was a pupil of a local artist with Mannerist tendencies. His early artistic production shows an influence of Mannerism, a style that was prevalent in Siena at the time, characterized by complex compositions and a certain stylistic elegance.
In the following years, Manetti came into contact with the works of Caravaggio, which had a significant impact on his painting. This encounter pushed him to adopt Caravaggio's chiaroscuro, a dramatic use of light and shadow to create depth and realism, and to focus on religious and mythological themes, represented with a more naturalistic and intense approach.
Main Works
Among Manetti's most famous works are numerous sacred paintings commissioned for the churches of Siena, including the "Beheading of the Baptist" and the "Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence". His works are noted for their vivid depiction of subjects and innovative use of light, which shows the influence of Caravaggio. Rutilio Manetti was also a prolific portraitist, and many of his portraits are noted for their psychological intensity and attention to detail.
Influence and Style
Manetti is often considered a transitional painter, whose work represents the transition from Mannerism to Baroque. His art was influenced by both his Sienese contemporaries and Roman Baroque painters, although his style remains unique in the way he combines these elements with a personal sensibility.
Rutilio Manetti died in Siena on 22 July 1639. Although he never achieved the fame of some of his contemporaries, he is today recognized as an important figure in Italian painting of the late Renaissance and early Baroque, especially for his role in bringing Caravaggio's innovations to Siena.