Fragment of Salvator Rosa frame
Unknown Artist
ca. 1660
Medium
Poplar
Dimensions
Overall: 16 1/4 × 12 3/16 in. (41.3 × 31 cm) Sight: 13 3/8 × 9 5/16 in. (34 × 23.6 cm) Rabbet: 14 × 10 1/16 in. (35.5 × 25.5 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
Italian, Naples
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2151
Art Historical Context
This exquisite fragment from a frame associated with the renowned 17th-century artist Salvator Rosa hails from Naples, Italy, around 1660. Crafted from poplar wood—a lightweight, carvable material favored for its workability in Baroque-era frames—it once adorned a painting by Rosa, the dramatic Baroque master known for his turbulent landscapes, battle scenes, and rebellious spirit. As part of the vibrant Neapolitan art scene, influenced by Caravaggio's tenebrism and Spanish rule, such frames were essential complements to paintings, often intricately carved to enhance the artwork's theatrical i...