Giuseppe Maria Rolli

The Bolognese painter and etcher, Giuseppe Maria Rolli, who was taught by Giovanni Battista Caccioli and Domenico Maria Canuti, subsequently distinguished himself as a fresco painter in his native city. Rolli’s printed oeuvre is small, a mere five sheets being definitively attributed to him.
Recorded in the literature as an allegory of drawing, the present sheet reproduces Lorenzo Pasinelli’s painting of the so-called Budrioli Sibyl (Sotheby’s auction of 8 December 2010, now in the Art Renewal Center, New Jersey), which in turn is based on a drawing by Simone Cantarini (now in the Royal Collection, London, inv. no. RCIN 903266). Pasinelli produced the painting for the Budrioli family as a companion piece to another Sibyl made by his teacher, Domenico Maria Canuti. The Sibyl receives inspiration from a small winged genius, with whom she appears to be absorbed in an intimate conversation. Rolli’s precise etching technique with its varied linework and clear tonal gradations enables him to portray a scene that is in keeping with the aesthetic taste of Bolognese Baroque Classicism. This very rare sheet radiates a remarkably powerful presence despite the relatively small format. A very fine, contrasting impression with thread margins around the framing line. Minor defects, otherwise in excellent condition.