Orpheus Attr. to Tommaso Salini

Orpheusis an original artwork realized in the first decades of the XVII century and attributed to the Italian master Tommaso Salini.

Oil painting on canvas.

A golden wood frame is included (25.5 x 31.2 cm).

Fair conditions.

Precious and top notch painting representing the classical myth of Orpheuswith the standard iconography. This small yet magnificent oil on canvas is a fine exemple of Roman painting during the Baroque period. According to ancient mythology, Orpheus is usually represented holding a lyre and surrounded by different animals. Another iconographic attribute is the laurel oak. These iconographic symbols make him similar to the figure of Apollo. According to mythology, Apollo gave Orpheus his first lyre. Orpheus’s singing and playing were so beautiful that animals, trees and even rocks moved around him to dance. Orpheus was a legendary musician and poet of Thracian origins. He is one of the most significant figures of classical mythology and, in Western culture, his figure relates to different forms of art and music. This legendary hero, indeed, was born with supernatural musical and artistic skills. Traditionally, Orpheus was the son of the Muse Calliope, symbol of epic poetry, and Oegrus, king of Thrace. In this small artwork, the figure of Orpheus is represented with his most important features in a late-Mannerism composition and setting.

This artwork can be attributed toTommaso Salini(Rome, 1575 - 1625), an Italian master of the Baroque period, active in Rome. The artist specialized in genre scene and in still life paintings. Two more paintings with sacred subject matters have been attributed to him: theSan Nicola da Tolentinoand the Santi Quattro Coronati. The former is currently preserved in Rome, in the church of St. Agostino. The artist was influenced by the works of Caravaggio.