Military Figures or Bandits

Art

Historic Charleston Foundation

Name/Title

Military Figures or Bandits

Entry/Object ID

98.5.1

Description

"Bandits" or "Military Figures," by Salvator Rosa, oil on canvas, (per clipping from Claudia Rhett's papers). Shows three figures in military dress just to the left of center on a knoll. Another figure, similarly clad, kneels in the left foreground and has hands aoutstretched as if to collect water from the stream which flows from a small waterfall. A large tree fills the upper left corner and there is a mountain in the background. Some shrubs and scrub trees are also included, but in general it is a rather barren landscape. The right side shows structures in the distance and a blue sky with large white clouds. A fifth figure, on horseback, rides toward the settlement. All figures have swords and/or a lance. Frame: Wood, rectangular, box like, gilded. Plaster moldings. Near outer edge is a row of acanthus leaves and dart molding. Inner edge has a row of canlis leaves and dart molding. In the center a cavetto mold is decorated with a cauli culus design over a bed of stippling. Part of Gov. Wm. Aikens art collection purchased in Europe in the 1830's. Purchased from the Gallery of Prince Buonacorsi in Rome. Shown at S.C. and West Indian Exposition.

Artwork Details

Medium

Oil on Canvas

Collection

Historic Charleston Foundation Collection

Acquisition

Accession

98.5.

Source or Donor

The Charleston Museum

Acquisition Method

Transfer

Credit Line

The Charleston Museum, gift of Mrs. Frances Dill Rhett

Made/Created

Artist

Rosa, Salvator

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Painting

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Other Names and Numbers

Other Numbers

Number Type

Other Number

AZ 2352

Dimensions

Height

21-3/8 in

Width

27-11/16 in

Dimension Notes

Frame: H: 30.5" W: 36.25" D: 3.75

Location

Room

303

Building

Nathaniel Russell House

Moved By

Jill Beute Koverman

Date

July 25, 2002

Location

Building

NR 304

Moved By

Renee LaHue Marshall

Date

April 28, 1998

Notes

Until: 07/25/2002

Location

Building

NR 304

Moved By

Renee LaHue Marshall

Date

April 28, 1998

Notes

Until: 07/25/2002

Location

Building

AR 109

Condition

Notes

Painting: Crackle is becoming quite small/fine. Painting has been rebacked and a new stretcher and keys applied, probably in Italy prior to being purchased by Gov. Aiken. An old newspaper article describes these figures as mandits plotting an attack on a coach but in its present state no coach is visible (in 1984). Badly needs cleaning. Filler strips of wood (1.7cm) nailed on each of sides to fit painting into its frame. Frame: A lot of gilt and some plaster is missing.

Notes

See attached report

Notes

The painting is an oil on canvas. The canvas has been lined to a secondary fabric support with glue paste adhesive. The original canvas is an open coarse tabby weave while the lining fabric is a more closely woven coarse twill weave fabric. The original tacking edges have been cut from the painting. The lined painting is tacked to its stretcher. The stretcher has butt-end joins and is not beveled on the front of the reverse. There are two keys in each corner of hte stretcher for a total of eight keys. There is no protective backing on the reverse of the stretcher. The ground is red in color and is visible in the paint loss. The paint layer appears to be oil and is medium to thick in application. Slight impasto is visible and is located in the clouds and the highlights of the fabric. There is no signature visable on the painting. Damage Information: There is wood worm damage in the stretcher and keys. A layer of dust and grime covers the reverse of the painting. There is debris between the canvas and the lower stretcher members. Fine age and mechanical cracks are located throughout the ground and paint layers. Numerous minute losses are scattered throughout the paining. Restoration work which no longer matches the adjacent paint layer is visible in the foreground. There is a natural resin varnish which has discolored and yellowed with age. It is not the original varnish as the painting has been restored. White paint drips are located on teh surface of the painting. There is a layer of dust and grime on the surface of the painting.

Conservation

Treatment

Conservator

Barry, Joanne

Treatment

Conservator

Catherine G. Rogers

Notes

Scope of work: The painting will be photographed to document its condition before, during, and after treatment with 35mm color slide and black & white photography. Areas of loose of flaking paint will be consolidated using an appropriate adhesive. The surface grime will be romoved and the varnish layer reduced using organic solvents that are safe for the paint layer. The debris will be dislodgd between the stretcher bars and canvas and the reverse of hte painting will be vacuumed. The stretcher bars will be wiped with a damp cloth to remove andy dust and grime. The painting will be keyed out. An isolating varnish of MS2A or Acryloid B-72 resin will be brush applied ot the painting. Areas of ground an paint loss will be filled with gesso. Losses and abrasions will be inpainted using Golden MSA and Lefranc& Bourgeois pigments to match the surrounding areas of loss. A final spray coat varnish of Acryloid B-72 will be applied ot the painting. The rabbet of the frame will be lined with black felt to protect the front of the painting with direct abrasion from the rabbet of the frame. A protective backing board will be attached to the reverse of the stretcher with washers and screws. The painting will be installed in its frame with metal plates. New hanging hardware and wire will be attaced to the reverse of the frame. Cost: 3000

Conservation Purpose

Damage Repair

Treatment

Acute Treatment

General Repair

Conservator

Eli Wilner & Company

Treatment Notes

Attached are corner details of the Rosa frame where our master carver is recreating the areas of lost punchwork in the gesso. Our finishing team has been working alongside him doing gesso and patch gilding. They were able to retain large portions of the original gilding, but this requires extra caution when handling. (email from Emma Cotter, 4/5/23 to Valerie Perry) At this stage, the ornaments are still disassembled from the frame and getting individual structural repairs. Meanwhile, our gilders have been stabilizing the gesso areas and begun to do some intermittent gilding. The next step will be to have a carver delicately remake any areas of lost punchwork. (email from Emma Cotter, 1/31/23 to Valerie Perry)

Primary Contact

Emma Cotter

Requested By

Long, J. Grahame

Approved By

Long, J. Grahame

Notes

Joanne Barry has the painting, Wilner has the frame.

Provenance

Notes

Collected By: Gov. WIlliam Aiken art collection from 1830's purchase in Europe Last Owner: Mrs. Frances Dill Rhett before donation to Charleston Museum

Exhibitions

Exhibition

Notes

Exhibit Start: 2004-06-07

General Notes

Note

Notes: Needs a photo Treatment Estimate by Catherine Rogers- 9/9/02 for $3,000.00 Reference to "Bandits on a Rocky Coast", The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Salvator Rosa ( Italian, Neapolitan, 1615-1673), Oil on Canvas; 29 1/2 x 39 3/8 in.

Created By

admin@catalogit.app

Create Date

July 1, 2002

Updated By

mooreks@wofford.edu

Update Date

January 7, 2025