Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/richard-wilson-606" aria-label="More by Richard Wilson" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Richard Wilson</a>
Francesco Zuccarelli
Purchased 1923
actions: expressive
adults
artist, painter
arts and entertainment
individuals: male
man
named individuals
people
portraits
smiling
work and occupations
Zuccarelli, Francesco
<p>This portrait of the Italian landscape painter Zuccarelli was painted when Wilson was working in Italy. Although he later established himself as the leading painter of classical landscapes, Wilson started out as a portrait painter. The rather modest and informal qualities of this image are typical of British portrait painting of this period.</p><p>Zuccarelli painted literary and mythological landscape scenes and encouraged Wilson to do the same. Like his contemporary Reynolds, Wilson exploited his Italian experience to re-establish himself as a painter in the ‘grand style’ that suited the increasingly pretentious tastes of British art patrons.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
3 November 2003 – 19 January 2004
2004-01-19
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2003-11-03
Portraits of Artists
Collection based display
6 March 2014 – 29 October 2014
2014-10-29
6 March 2014 – 1 June 2014
2014-06-01
2014-03-06
Yale Center for British Art (New Haven, USA)
http://ycba.yale.edu/index.asp
5 July 2014 – 29 October 2014
2014-10-29
2014-07-05
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales (Cardiff, UK)
2014-03-06
Richard Wilson and the Transformation of European Art
Loan-out
Francesco Zuccarelli
support: 495 × 419 mm
frame: 623 × 555 × 68 mm
Purchased 1923
<p>Richard Wilson painted this intimate <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portrait</span></a> of the Italian <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/landscape" title="Glossary definition for 'Landscape'"><span>landscape</span></a> painter Francesco Zuccarelli in Venice in 1751. Today Wilson is remembered principally as a landscape painter in the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/classicism" title="Glossary definition for 'Classicism'"><span>classical</span></a> tradition. Yet at the time he painted this picture he was still working principally as a portraitist. 

</p><p>Wilson described the circumstances surrounding the making of  Zuccarelli's portrait in a letter to his patron Admiral Thomas Smith (1706 or 7-1762), dated 8 June 1751:'Sig<sup>r  </sup><sup></sup><sup></sup>Zuccarelli a famous painter of this place made me an Offer of his <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> me a picture for a portrait of himself w<sup>ch </sup><sup></sup><sup></sup> I am doing with great pleasure' (Solkin, p.177). The picture is relatively small, both its size and style having a closer affinity with the works of contemporary Venetian artists than those of his British counterparts. Compared to his previous commissioned, society portraits, the image stands out in terms of its strong character and sprightliness, indicating a genuine rapport with the sitter, whose sparkling eyes and genial smile reveal a warmth and keen intelligence. 

</p><p>Francesco Zuccarelli was born in Florence in 1702, although his formative years as an artist were spent in Venice, where he worked as a painter of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/r/rococo" title="Glossary definition for 'Rococo'"><span>Rococo</span></a>, pastoral landscapes from the 1730s onwards. Despite his formulaic and repetitive style, by the mid eighteenth century Zuccarelli was deeply admired by his fellow Italians and by visiting British artists and connoisseurs. Among his patrons was the influential merchant banker, collector, picture dealer and sometime British consul, Joseph Smith (<i>c</i>.1674-1770), whose collection boasted many works by contemporary Italian artists, including Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734), Marco Ricci (1676-1729), Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757), Giambattista Piazetta (1683-1754) and Canaletto (1697-1768). Zuccarelli was employed by Smith to paint decorative classical and religious landscapes, as well as a series of overdoors featuring English Palladian buildings in imaginary Italian settings. He also appears to have acted as a tour guide, escorting the young Joshua Reynolds (1723-92) around Venice in 1752.

</p><p>It was probably through the agency of Smith that Zuccarelli was introduced to British artists and collectors, including Wilson. Encouraged by Smith, Zuccarelli left for England in 1752. He remained there for ten years, his landscapes proving particularly popular among those members of the landed aristocracy who had made the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/g/grand-tour" title="Glossary definition for 'Grand Tour'"><span>Grand Tour</span></a>. Zucarelli even tried his hand at Shakespearean subjects, painting <i>Macbeth and the Witches</i> in 1765 (private collection). He returned to England once more in 1765, and became a founder member of the Royal <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/a/academy" title="Glossary definition for 'Academy'"><span>Academy</span></a>, where he exhibited until 1773. By this time, however, he had settled once more in Venice, where he was elected President of the Academy. He died in 1788.

</p><p><b>Further Reading:<br/></b><br/>David H. Solkin<i>, Richard Wilson. The Landscape of Reaction</i>, exhibition catalogue, Tate Gallery, 1982, p.177,  no.59<br/>Michael Levey, <i>Painting in XVIII Century Venice</i>, London 1959, pp.60-9

</p><p>Martin Postle<br/>September 2000</p>
Summary
2005-09-15T00:00:00
summary
SHORT_TEXT
<div class="para9">
<span class="text0">This <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portrait</span></a> of the Italian <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/landscape" title="Glossary definition for 'Landscape'"><span>landscape</span></a> painter      Zuccarelli was painted when Wilson was working in Italy. Although  </span><span class="text14">he later established himself as the </span><span class="text0">
leading painter of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/classicism" title="Glossary definition for 'Classicism'"><span>classical</span></a> landscapes, Wilson started out as a      portrait painter.  The rather modest and informal qualities  of this image      are typical of British portrait <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> of this period. </span>
</div>
<div class="para1">
<span class="text0">
<br/> </span>
</div>
<div class="para9">
<span class="text15">Zuccarelli painted literary and mythological</span><span class="text0"> landscape scenes and encouraged Wilson to do the same. Like      his contemporary </span><span class="text14">Reynolds, Wilson exploited his      Italian experience to re-establish himself as  a painter in the      ‘<a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/g/grand-manner" title="Glossary definition for 'Grand Manner'"><span>grand style</span></a>’ that suited  the increasingly pretentious tastes      of </span><span class="text0">British art patrons. </span>
</div>

Display caption
2004-09-09T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
actions: expressive adults artist, painter arts and entertainment individuals: male man named individuals people portraits smiling work and occupations Zuccarelli, Francesco