Selbstporträt

This 1692 self-portrait at the Pio Monte della Misericordia in Naples shows Luca Giordano in the year he departed for Spain, having reached the peak of his reputation in Italy after nearly four decades of prolific work in Naples, Florence, Venice, and Rome. The painter depicts himself with the directness and confidence of a man at the height of his powers — fifty-eight years old, successful, and about to undertake the most prestigious royal commission of his career. The Pio Monte della Misericordia, a Neapolitan charitable institution founded in 1601, holds Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy altarpiece as its central treasure, making the building one of the most important artistic sites in Naples. Giordano's decision to leave his self-portrait with this institution — which would also hold his earlier religious works — suggests a conscious act of self-commemoration before his departure to the Spanish court. He would spend a decade in Spain decorating the Escorial, the royal palaces, and the Toledo Cathedral before returning to Naples in 1702.

Giordano presents himself with confident directness, the bold brushwork and warm palette that characterized his mature style evident in the assured handling of face and costume. The self-portrait demonstrates his facility with rapid execution — the "fa presto" technique that was his hallmark.