(Rome 1771–1844)
The Death of Virginia,
oil on canvas, 54 x 64 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private collection, Rome;
where acquired by the present owner

We are grateful to Pier Ludovico Puddu for confirming the attribution of the present painting after examination in the original and for his help in cataloguing.

The present painting is a bozzetto study for The Death of Virginia by Vincenzo Camuccini in the Galleria Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples (inv. no. 6583).

The long and complex elaboration of the painting at Capodimonte is attested by the presence of numerous preparatory studies, among which this sketch stands out for its use of colour. According to Puddu this study belongs to an advanced design phase of the final composition, completed in 1804. Indeed, the presence of some variations compared to the other studies, such as the pose, the dress and the veil of the woman on the right, suggests an execution just before the drafting of the finished painting. The study of extensive and detailed portions of the entire work was Camuccini’s usual working process: after sketching the composition, the painter dedicated himself to the rendering of the individual figures and the colour system. In the present bozzetto the figures of Appio Claudio and those on the left are missing; in fact, these characters are studied separately in other sketches (see G. Piantoni De Angelis, Vincenzo Camuccini (1711-1884). Bozzetti e disegni dallo studio dell’artista, exhibition catalogue, Rome 1978, p. 37). Here Camuccini’s interest is directed at the main part of the subject, where Virginio sacrificed his daughter to save her honor.

The pendant of The Death of Virginia is The Death of Julius Caesar which is also conserved in Capodimonte. Both paintings were commissioned by Lord Bristol (1730–1803) in the late 1790s, however he died before Vincenzo Camuccini could complete the two works. Subsequently, Gioacchino Murat purchased the paintings on behalf of the Kingdom of Naples (see G. Piantoni De Angelis, ibid., pp. 28-29).

The present painting is a significant addition to the catalogue of the sketches made by Vincenzo Camuccini, who was a major exponent of the Roman school of painting in the early 19th Century.

Vincenzo Camuccini was a pupil of Domenico Corvi and was influenced by the works of Raphael, Michelangelo and especially Poussin. He was a talented draftsman, and portraitist and he was considered as the first artist of History Painting in Rome of his time (see F. Giacomini, Per reale vantaggio delle arti e della storia. Vincenzo Camuccini e il restauro dei dipinti a Roma nella prima metà dell’Ottocento, Rome 2007, pp. 51-61).