Bust portrait of Charlemagne

Giuseppe Longhi (1766–1831) was a leading Italian printmaker of his era and also a writer. He was born in Monza, and initially trained at the Ambrosian Seminary, studying philosophy and letters. By the age of 20, he decided to become an artist, and trained with the engraver Vincenzio Vangelisti, as well as Aspari, Traballesi, and Franchi. After a stint in Rome, he returned to Milan to teach engraving at the Brera Academy. Longhi produced a notable engraving of Napoleon in 1797. The following year he became a professor of engraving at the Brera Academy. In 1801 Longhi visited Paris, where he met many artists, including Jacques-Louis David and Nicolas-Henri Tardieu. Among Longhi's works are engravings of the Marriage of the Virgin (original by Raphael) and a Mary Magdalene by Correggio. He is said to have died from a stroke while engraving the Last Judgement by Michelangelo.

This engraving was previously known as 'Bearded man with helmet', and when I looked at it, I felt that the sitter's distinguished-looking features made him as good a candidate as any for the Emperor Charlemagne. My hunch was confirmed by the British Museum Catalogue online, which confirms that the engraving, by Giuseppe Longhi, is indeed a 'Bust portrait of Charlemagne wearing a crown...', the latter perhaps more like a jewelled helmet. The inscription tells us that it was based on a work by the significant Neoclassical portrait painter Teodoro Matteini (1753-1831), a compatriot of Longhi. The absence of any reference to 'pinxit' ('he painted [it]) suggests that Matteini supplied Longhi with a drawing as a basis for the engraving.

The engraving itself is neither one of the most interesting nor valuable in Te Papa's large collection. But it does have a good provenance, as it was one of nearly 600 Old Master prints presented to the Colonial Museum, foreunner of Te Papa, by Bishop Ditlev Monrad in 1869, making it part of our formative art collection.

Sources:

British Museum Collection online, https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1674183&partId=1&searchText =Giuseppe+Longhi+&page=1

Wikipedia, 'Giuseppi Longhi', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuseppe_Longhi

Wikipeida, 'Teodora Matteini', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teodoro_Matteini

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art    March 2019

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art   March 2019