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Barbara Longhi of Author(s): Liana DeGirolami Cheney Source: Woman's Art Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Spring - Summer, 1988), pp. 16-20 Published by: Woman's Art Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1358358 Accessed: 15-02-2018 19:21 UTC

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This content downloaded from 137.122.8.73 on Thu, 15 Feb 2018 19:21:16 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms portraits of Ravenna

LIANA DeGIROLAMI CHENEY

Barbara Longhi (1552-1638) of Ravenna was the daughter of Mannerist painter Luca Longhi (1507-1580) and the sister of painter and poet Francesco Longhi (1544-1620). Although her brother remained a dilettante, Barbara, during a painting career that spanned more than 30 years, diligently produced a series of small Madonna and Child compositions that were, according to Vasari, "unique for their purity of line and soft brilliance of color."' Trained by her father, a regional Mannerist influenced by the Roman and Central Italian (Florence and Bologna) schools, Barbara copied many of his works and assisted him with his large altarpieces. She also served as his model and can be seen as a guest of honor in The Marriage at Cana (1579; Classe Library, Ravenna) and as St. Barbara-her patron saint-in the altarpiece The Madon- na Enthroned with Saints (1570; Pinacoteca, Ravenna).2 Although Barbara's work often resembles her father's, the scale differs: she worked with small panels and he on large altarpieces. She also depicted Marian scenes and at least one heroic woman, her Judith with the Head of Holofernes (c. 1570-75; Fig. 1). The Longhis' works reflect the authoritarian-religious ideas of the Counter-Reformation (c. 1545-63), which were more firmly entrenched in the regional schools than in such urban centers as , Florence, Venice, and Rome, where humanist values prevailed. Barbara's message is devotional and pious: feeling is expressed through simple Fig. 1. Barbara Longhl, Judith with the Head of Holofernes (c. 1570- composition, soft colors, and, in the earlier works, an 75), oil on canvas, 34" x 30".' Pinacoteca, Ravenna. exaggerated linear quality. She was inspired not only by her father's paintings, but by the Emilians Correggio and on the viewer's relationship to the image. The element , the Roman engravers Marco Antonio of empathy is crucial in a devotional painting; viewers Raimondi and Agostino Veneziano, and most particularly are-it is hoped-transported into the spiritual realm as by 's Florentine works (1506-1508), when he was they contemplate or pray to the image. This new emphasis registering the impact of Leonardo and Fra Bartolomeo. on the unambiguous depiction of images to elicit the Despite these influences, Longhi developed her own, viewer's devotional response is a direct consequence of recognizable style, seen best in the delicate modeling of the Counter-Reformation. the necks and arms of her madonnas and in her saints, The chronology of Longhi's paintings is unclear, and who are no more fleshy or corporeal than their curling to date only 15 of her works have been identified. (One garments. Her golden palette is warm and subtle. These imagines that a careful study of the work of her father uncluttered statements of civilized piety won for Barbara and brother would reveal that many of their works should Longhi the esteem of contemporary connoisseurs such as be reattributed to Barbara.) Of these, twelve are of the Vasari and Munzio Manfredi. Madonna and Child, with or without saints; one is a Longhi's paintings are devotional rather than religious, Biblical painting of Judith; and two are portraits. It was which is to say they were created to foster a life of Chris- for her portraits that Longhi was especially admired, tian faith amid worldly distractions. Whereas most although,re- ironically, today we know only the Camaldo- ligious paintings refer to historical events-for instance, lense Monk (1573; Pinacoteca, Ravenna) and her self- the lives of Mary, Christ, and the saints-or relate a story, portrait as Catherine of Alexandria (1589; see front cover). devotional paintings avoid narratives, focusing instead With the exception of the Camaldolense Monk, which is

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Fig. 2. Barbara Longhi, Reading Madonna (c. 1570-75), oil on canvas, 18" x 14". Pinacoteca, Ravenna. dated 1570 or 1573-the writing is not legible-Longhi's works are not dated. When she did sign, she used the initials "B.L.F." (Barbara Longhi Fecit). St. Catherine of Alexandria was painted for the Mon- astery of Classe in Ravenna.s Here, St. Catherine Fig. holds3. Barbara Longhl, Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist in one hand a palm, a symbol of her martyrdom, (1589-90), and oil on canvas, 18" x 14". Private Collection. between her arms a broken wheel with spikes, her at- tribute. Why Longhi used herself as the protagonist Catherine when her patron saint was St. Barbara is unclear, and since little is known of the events of Longhi's life, it is difficult to' speculate. There are no documents attesting to the fact that St. Catherine is a self-portrait: one has merely to compare the image with her father's portrayal of her in the Madonna Enthroned with Saints- the resemblance is marked. As to her talent, Munzio Manfredi, then director of the Accademia dei Confusi in Bologna, said: "Her art is quite marvelous, and even her father is surprised by her art, especially her portraits."4 Several copies of St. Catherine of Alexandria exist. According to one Bolognese scholar, the replica formerly at the Hermitage Museum, Leningrad (location unknown), was painted by Luca for one of his patrons.5 But it is highly possible that Barbara painted more than one copy of the theme, a common practice in 16th-century . The chronology of her paintings below has been organized on the basis of her stylistic development. In her earliest period, 1570 to 1590, she simplifies the composition, uses modeling only to emphasize the linearity of design, employs a limited palette, and manifests a lyrical, intimate treatment of her themes. Since no works dating after 1605 have been discovered, what would in a better-documented artist be considered a middle period, 1590-1605, will have to be considered her period of maturity. Here she first uses the compositional devices of draping a curtain around a column and opening an area in the background to show a scene from nature. The color becomes more brilliant, and the figures achieve a certain monumentality. Though the lyrical treatment of the theme is retained, a deeper devotional element is Fig. 4. Barbara Longhi, CappuccinlAltarplece (1595), oil on canvas, added, transforming the personal image of the early style 42" x 24". Brera, Milan. This content downloaded from 137.122.8.73 on Thu, 15 Feb 2018 19:21:16 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 18 Woman's Art Journal

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Fig. 5. Barbara Longhi, Madonna and Child with Saint Elizabeth Fig. 6. Barbara Longhi, Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist of Hungary (?), (c. 1590-95), oil on canvas, 28" x 24". The . (c. 1595-1600), oil on canvas, 18" x 14". Dresden Gallery. into a universal icon in the later works. Baptist. A dramatic curtain separates the landscape from An example of the early style, Madonna with Sleeping the interior event, in which Mary quietly observes the in- Child (c. 1570; Pinacoteca, Ravenna) is a tender image teraction of her son and nephew. The figures are seated of a child fallen sweetly asleep in the arms of his mother. on an altar supported by decorative posts that in turn No background detail distracts the viewer from the loving rest on a wide step. In this devotional scene the viewer and intimate scene. The Madonna gently casts her eyes is invited to meditate, and in it we see the beginning of on her sleeping child, her facial expression reflecting the Longhi's mature style. blissful moment. Mother and child are closely intertwined; The Madonna and Child with St. Agatha and St. there is a pervasive stillness to the composition.6 Catherine (c. 1590-95; Pinacoteca, Ravenna) is an early By contrast, The Madonna of the Baldacchino (c. 1570- example of her mature work. Here again the background 73; Pinacoteca, Ravenna) depicts a child actively caress- is opened up with a landscape, which is balanced with ing his mother, engaging her attention. Suspended inan elaborate sweep of drapery. The frontal, aloof depiction clouds, the full-length figure of the seated and crowned of Mary contrasts with Longhi's earlier portrayals of the Madonna is protected by a canopy held by angels and Madonna. Mary looks attentively at the ring that Christ by a red cloth of honor. Mother and child are set back holds up to her, a ring that will soon figure in the wedding in the picture plane. The sense of intimacy found in the of St. Catherine. It is unclear iconographically why St. earlier work is missing. The elaborate canopy with its Agatha is placed with St. Catherine. Since no documents floating angels calls to mind Raphael's Florentine relating to this altarpiece have been found, the identity painting The Madonna del Baldacchino (1506-1507), now of its patron is not known. However, Longhi had painted at the Pitti Palace, which Longhi might have known other altarpieces of St. Agatha and of St. Catherine with through engravings after the work. other saints, for example, The Healing of St. Agatha for In the Reading Madonna (c. 1570-75; Fig. 2) Longhi San Vitale (c. 1595), now in the Church of St. Maria focuses on the simplicity of the scene and the intensity Maggiore, Ravenna, and the Cappuccini Altarpiece (1595; of the action of the mother and child. Using a muted palette Fig. 4). Both show Venetian influence, that of Giovanni and gentle rhythms, she achieves, in Vasari's words, Bellini's altarpiece in the Church of San Zaccaria (1505) "grace and style."' In keeping with the religious aims of in particular. Barbara would have been familiar with the Counter-Reformation, the viewer is presented with an Bellini's works through her father Luca's workshop and icon of tenderness, humility, and piety. This is the earliest most especially his Bellini-inspired Madonna Enthroned painting signed by the, artist: B.L.F. is inscribed on the with Saints altarpiece. Barbara Longhi's Cappuccini book of hours that the Madonna reads. The child is shown Altarpiece depicts a raised, enthroned Madonna and Child blessing his mother; his crossed legs and arm resting on in a sacra conversazione, a holy conversation between a globe recall such Mannerist compositions as Parmigi- Mary, Christ (who is blessing the viewer), St. Paul, and anino's Madonna of the Rose (c. 1530), now at the Dresden St. Francis. An intrepid angel plays a libra da braccio Gallery. while carefully following a musical score. The religious With Madonna with Child and St. John the Baptist (c. scene takes place in an elaborate chapel apse surrounded 1589-90; Fig. 3),8 Longhi followed the tradition of by a pastoral landscape. Correggio and Parmigianino, both of whom often depicted Unfortunately, we do not know who Longhi's patrons the Madonna and Child in the company of John the were and lack of such documentation makes the identifi- This content downloaded from 137.122.8.73 on Thu, 15 Feb 2018 19:21:16 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Woman's Art Journal 19

Fig. 7. Barbara Longhi, Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine Fig. 8. Barbarawith Longhi, Madonna with Sleeping Child (c. 1600- St. John the Baptist (c. 1600), oil on canvas, 42" x 34". 1605), Museo oil on canvas, 42" x 34". Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. Biblioteca, Bassaro del Grappa. styles of the mid-16th century to create, with the addition cation of saints quite speculative. For example, in of her own intimate and gentle touch, a new visual Madonna and Child with Saint (c. 1590-95; Fig. 5), the reference. saint is being crowned by the Christ child, who, standing Longhi's mature style, emphasizing the softness of victoriously in a contrapposto position, looks directly atcontour lines and gracefulness, is evident in the Mystical the viewer as if to signify the importance of the crowning. Marriage of St. Catherine with St. John the Baptist (c. The saint could be St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-31) 1600; Fig. 7). Seen through the window opening in the because of her Franciscan habit, the coat-of-arms with upper-left corner of the room in which the intimate moment lions on the book, and the crown. She was a princess from of betrothal takes place is a pastoral landscape. The nar- the Arpad dynasty who married at age fourteen, was rative and devotional expression of the scene emphasizes widowed six years later, and then entered the Franciscan the Counter-Reformation ideal of Christ as an active par- Order. The crown, which alludes to her royal birth, is one ticipant in the lives of the saints, whose lives were then of her attributes. Jan van Eyck's and Petrus Christus's depicted to illustrate the struggles and successes of the Madonna and Child with Saints (c. 1445; Frick Collection, pious. Knowledge of such events was thought to guide New York) is an earlier portrayal of St. Elizabeth. the Christian faithful to comprehend the perils of being The mysticism of the Counter-Reformation is evident human and to emulate saintly virtues. In the Mystical in the painting of the Madonna and Child with St. John Marriage of St. Catherine with St. John the Baptist, the Baptist (1598-1600; Pinacoteca, Ravenna), also signed Longhi thus visually fuses the didactic elements of the B.L.F. In the background a curtained window opens onto Counter-Reformation with the artistic quest of . a landscape. Several details in the foreground reinforce Madonna with Sleeping Child (c. 1600-1605; Fig. 8) is the iconography of the theme: the small cross located at perhaps the most devotional of her Madonna and Child the feet of St. John the Baptist and the small pillow placed paintings. When this work was exhibited at the Walters below the kneeling leg of Christ. During the Counter- Art Gallery in 1972, the authors of the catalogue essay Reformation, the cult of the Christ child was signified offered: "[the painting's] formalized character and un- by the cross, which anticipated his death. Also common ambiguous meaning invite devout contemplation rather to this period is the depiction of the Christ child asleep than presenting the pictorial puzzles which so engaged on a pillow. Despite the fact that the painting is in need earlier Mannerist painters."9 The Madonna occupies a of cleaning and restoration, the brilliance and variety of small interior space; a window with heavenly clouds in Longhi's color are still evident. view is to her right, and a curtain-wrapped column stands In another version of the theme, Madonna and Child to her left. Mary adores the sleeping child, who appears with St. John the Baptist (1595-1600; Fig. 6), we see the to embody two kinds of sleep: the natural and the heav- culmination of the artist's mature style in the affectionate enly, which is to say, death. The composition is similar expression of the children and softness of modeling. If to Giovanni Bellini's Madonna and Child (c. 1505; Isabella the sfumato technique in the treatment of the landscape Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston) and Lavinia Fontana's recalls the tradition of Leonardo, the curtain wrapped Prado Madonna (1603). But Longhi moves away from the around the column suggests the Emilian school, partic- classical style of the Bellini and the Mannerist elaboration ularly Correggio and Parmigianino. In these two works of Fontana to focus instead on the intimate, spiritual we see Longhi's assimilation and fusion of the exponent relationship between the Madonna and the viewer, both

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the Pitti Palace, for example). The books in the background emphasize the sitter's learning. Like of Milan (Judith, c. 1596; Ringling Museum, Sarasota), of Bologna (Judith, c. 1655; Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore), and of course, in her several versions, Barbara Longhi painted a Judith with the Head of Holofernes (c. 1570-75; Fig. 1). Longhi's Judith turns her eyes to the heavens as she seeks divine forgiveness in the aftermath of her brutal act. None of the violence expressed by Gentileschi is here; instead there is control and balance. Indeed, Judith's acceptance of what she has done and her faith in divine forgiveness are expressed in a manner concordant with the outlook of the Counter-Reformation. That Barbara Longhi's fame did not in her lifetime reach beyond Ravenna may be the reason that so little is known of her life and that so few of her works have been recovered. Nevertheless, she was a productive member of the Longhi family painting workshop, and her work affords some idea of the regional expression given to the aims of the Counter- Reformation. 0

1. G. Vasari, Le vite de piu eccellenti pittori scultori ed archittetori, III (Florence: F. Giunti, 1568), 421. Longhi is given brief mention in all the past and recent surveys of , but little is known of her life. For general documentation of Luca Longhi and some data on Barbara Longhi see in the Archivio di Stato di Bologna, F. Beltrami, IRForestiero instruito delle cosse notabili della citta di Ravenna e surbane della medisima (Ravenna, 1783, A91); F. Nanni, II Forestiero in Ravenna (Ravenna, 1821); and G. Ributti, Guida di Ravenna (Ravenna, 1835, 1866, 1885). Fig. 9. Barbara Longhi, Nursing Madonna (c. 1600-1605), 2. A. Emiliani,oil on Luca Longhi (Bologna: Alfa, 1982), 73-75. canvas, 26" x 22". Brera, Milan. 3. A. Corbara, Accademia Delle Belle Arti (Bologna: Alfa, 1975), catalogue entries on Barbara Longhi, 86-94, 87-88. See also A. of whom share in the adoration of the divine child. The Cappi, Luca Longhi elustrato (Ravenna: Alfa, 1985), 24, 166; A. Arfelli, La Pinacoteca e i musei comunali di Forli (Rome, 1935), monumentality of the forms becomes a parallel or ana- 120, 23; and C. Ricci, Guida di Bologna (Bologna: Alfa, 1906), logue to the directness and mysticism expressed in the 54, 86. paintings. 4. Quoted in Corbara, Accademia, 88. The Nursing Madonna (1600-1605; Fig. 9) represents 5. Ibid. the early Christian image of virgo lactans or maria 6. I recently discovered another Madonna and Child (c.1570) that reflects a similar mood. Now in the Grohs-Collison collection in lactans, the Virgin suckling the infant Christ, as first seen Birmingham, Alabama, it was once part of the Emperor in the 3rd-century fresco in the catacomb of Priscilla at Maximilian collection. The sleeping child's head bears the mark Rome. A cult of the nursing Madonna spread rapidly in of a bullet, the result of the 1860s Mexican revolution that lead 14th-century Italy, but after the Council of Trent such to Maximilian's execution. This Madonna differs from Longhi's imagery of nudity in sacred figures was forbidden. Longhi other portrayals in that her features are coarse and angular, was evidently aware of this Counter-Reformation dictum, as if the model were a peasant woman. 7. G. Vasari, Le vite, III, 421. as the Madonna's breast is only partially revealed and 8. This painting was sold in auction at Christie's in 1985 and may the child is not suckling but is gently embracing his have been deaccessioned from the Louvre. It is now in an mother. The unity of femininity and motherly love ex- unknown private collection. pressed in this imagery proclaims Longhi's mature style. 9. E. Broun and A. Gabhart, "Old Mistresses: Women Artists of the Of her extant images, only the early Camaldolense Past" (Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, April 17-June 19, 1972), 2. Monk is of a male. Of greenish/yellowish tonality, it is in remarkably good condition. The painting's date, either LIANA DeGIROLAMI CHENEY is chair of the Art Department 1570 or 1573, is inscribed in the small scroll held by the and Professor of Art History at the University of Lowell, monk, whose placement at the table suggests the influence Massachusetts. She is author of "Lavinia Fontana, Boston Holy of Raphael (see his Leo X with His Nephews, c. 1515, at Family," WAJ (Spring/Summer 1984).

This content downloaded from 137.122.8.73 on Thu, 15 Feb 2018 19:21:16 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Vol. 9 No. 1 600 Woman's Art Journal Spring/Summer 1988

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