Salvator Rosa, 'Self Portrait as Pascariello', about 1645-9

In this striking painting, a man stands against a plain brown background. He wears a dark fitted coat with a cloak over his left shoulder. His black cap sits low, hiding his dark hair. A sword peeks out from his cloak on the left side. The torn glove on his hand shows the texture of worn leather. It is painted with loose brown strokes. His right hand rests on his hip and his elbow juts out. This same stance is depicted in many of Frans Hals’s portraits, including the National Gallery’s Portrait of a Man holding Gloves.

The man looks right at us with intense, dark eyes. His strong features include a small pointed beard and curled moustache. He has a large nose, slightly sunken eyes and prominent eyebrows. We feel this is a real person looking back at us. Yet we might not guess that this is the artist himself. It is not a typical painter’s self portrait. There are no brushes, no palette, no hint of a studio. Instead, Salvator Rosa has painted himself as the character Pascariello.

Pascariello was a clever servant from commedia dell’arte, a popular form of theatre that began in southern Italy in the 1500s. Actors travelled across Europe performing comedies with stock characters, putting on lively shows in barns and market squares. Their physical comedy entertained crowds everywhere they went. Pascariello first appeared in Naples, Rosa’s hometown, which made the role personal to him. His biographer Filippo Baldinucci wrote that Rosa often played Pascariello at gatherings with friends, where the character’s bold humour let Rosa make risky political statements.

Rosa painted this self portrait while living in Florence. He moved there in 1640. With support from Cardinal Giovan Carlo de’ Medici, he created a group called the Accademia dei Percossi. This circle brought together many types of intellectuals. Scientists, artists, poets and playwrights gathered to share meals and ideas. They read poetry, performed plays and created satire together. Rosa himself wrote satires that often attacked the political system. His paintings also used complex literary themes and subtle political messages. We can see this in the Gallery’s Philosophy. Other works explored alchemy and the occult, like the Gallery’s Witches at their Incantations. These paintings reflected talks with his learned friends rather than any real interest in black magic.

The Church watched Rosa closely for his unconventional personal life. He lived with Lucrezia Paolini and had a number of children with her. This caused a scandal because she was married to someone else. The scandal became a tragedy. Money troubles forced them to send four of their six children to an orphanage. Their firstborn son, Rosalvo, died of plague when he was only 15.

The Self Portrait as Pascariello probably belonged to Leopoldo de’ Medici. He was Giovan Carlo’s brother and collected many artists’ self portraits. Rosa’s style shows the influence of Neapolitan painting. You can see how Spanish artist Jusepe de Ribera shaped his work. Rosa had worked with Ribera before moving to Rome and Florence.