#pieta with torchbearers

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Taddeo Zuccari (Italian, 1529–1566) Pietà with torchbearers, c.1560-66

Born in Urbino, the painter is considered the main representative of Italian Mannerism. He was Federico”Ts older brother, went to Rome aged 14 and soon became a very popular artist with wealthy clients and was able to establish his own business as a fresco painter. He received commissions from Pope Julius III and Paul VI together with Prospero Fontana, was active in the Villa Giulia and was allowed to paint the representative rooms in the Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, which can probably be considered his principal work. He also decorated the Sala dei Fasti in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. Zuccari attained a fortune which allowed him to build a palace in Rome. Due to his importance, he was buried near Raphael’s tomb in the Pantheon in Rome.

There are several other versions of the present work, for example in the Galleria Borghese, Rome (canvas, 232 x 142 cm.) or in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino (281 x 154 cm., image no. FAB60351). Upon closer examination, certain aspects suggest that the work was not fully completed before Zuccari’s death in 1666. When giving the painting a title, the wax candles were misunderstood on various occasions as “Attributes of the Passion of Christ”. The Farnese cardinal is said to have conveyed this idea for the depiction with candles to the painter. The famous biographer Giorgio Vasari already mentioned the Zuccari. The importance of the painting is also demonstrated by its distribution as a copperplate engraving.

The painting is considered a protected Italian cultural asset and is located in Italy.