Roman Charity (Cimon and Pero)

Luca Giordano – circle of

date:
measurements: výška 122.0 cm, šírka 99.0 cm
work type: painting
object type: easel painting
genre: historický motív
material: canvas
technique: oil
inscription:
institution: Slovenská národná galéria, SNG
curator: Zuzana Ludiková
inventory number: O 2257
tags: žena muž väzenie prsia
in collections:
licence: Creative Commons License public domain
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The theme is borrowed from a book about children’s love of their parents by Valerius Maximus, an ancient Roman historian. Until she was found out by the jailer, a young woman named Pero secretly breastfed her father Cimon, who was imprisoned and sentenced to death by starvation for his Christian faith. 

We can see Pero from her knees up in three quarter cut in the dark prison. Her body is hidden in a dark cloak; in certain places we can see a white top with a fur hem. Pero leans against a beam, and squeezes her exposed breast. The old man pushes his head between the bars in an attempt to catch the dripping milk. He is dependent on a strange act, and with a disgusted expression he tries to cover his shame by pulling his daughter’s cloak towards himself. Meanwhile, Pero gazes with devotion at the poor old man.

This classical theme, which was particularly popular in the 17th century, depicted family values as well as a strong erotic scene. The adaptations where the daughter directly breastfeeds her father create the impression of a lascivious love scene between an old man and a young woman. Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) established an extremely popular and frequently repeated model which is located in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
 
This painting is a masterpiece, despite the fact that its creator has not yet been determined. The realistically depicted shapes are reminiscent of the work of the first generation of early Baroque Genoan artists, a painter from the circle of Bernardo Strozzi (1581/1582–1644). In adapting the theme, the artist also chose an individual approach and emphasized the moral aspect of this story. In the faces we can see different sad reactions to the same situation, the pieta. 

Zuzana Ludiková ● LUDIKOVÁ, Zuzana - BURAN, Dušan. Talianska maľba = Italian Painting. Bratislava : Slovenská národná galéria, 2013. 242 strán. ISBN 9788080591748.