Paolo Monaldi

"Shepherds in front of a ruin", oil on canvas, with giltwood frame. This canvases presented in this auction reveal one of the basic subjects of Paolo Monaldi, which tried to base his oeuvre in the Roman art scene on the representation of the "simple" people and their rural lives. This focal point of his work was influenced by the so called Bamboccianti, transalpine artists, which were for the most parts Dutch and Flemish painters. Typical subjects include dances of farmers, food and beverage scenes, card games, without violence or eroticism. The representations of his happy shepherds in their pleasant setting are, however, not picturesque and contain a disenchanted version of the reality. Paolo Monaldi of which we don't have neither the date of birth nor the date of death, has probably had contact with the Roman sculptor Carlo Monaldi. Paolo Monaldi together with Paolo Anesi, with which he worked also together, can be considered the two major artists of the Arcadian landscape painting of the 18th century in Roma. Bibliography: A. Busiri Vici, Trittico paesistico romano del 700, Roma 1976, 35,5x26,5 cm.