PIETRO DANDINI (1646-1712)
Late 17th century
Italy
Red chalk on laid paper
11 1/4″ x 7 1/4″

Pietro Dandini was an Italian artist from Florence who enjoyed great renown in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His work was much in demand both by private patrons and the church. He was a favorite of the Medici family and received commissions from the Grand Duke and Prince Ferdinand, and his frescoes and murals can still be seen in former Medici villas in and around Florence, including the Palazzo Corsini. The nephew of two prominent painters, Cesare and Vincenzo Dandini, Pietro developed a graceful and florid style derived from time spent in Rome, Bologna, and especially Venice. He worked primarily in Florence and a great many of his paintings can be seen in churches throughout the city.

This red chalk drawing, an exciting recent rediscovery, is a study for Dandini’s oil painting of Cleopatra. Employing swift and confident strokes, Dandini can be seen working out precisely how he wants to portray the elegant hand gestures and the rich drapery of the Egyptian queen.

Frame is 19 1/2″ x 16″ x 1″