The Coral Fishermen

Italian (Neopolitan), 1615-1673)
ca. 1637
Oil on canvas

It is by no mean uncommon for artists to work in more than one medium, but Salvator Rosa has the interesting combination of being a painter and a satirical writer. As an adult and already established artist, he moved to Rome and joined a circle of artists who specialized in painting everyday scenes against landscapes of Roman ruins. Rosa developed a reputation as a wild card and would often satirize his artistic rivals in writing or theater. He even angered the renowned sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini by mocking him in a carnival play! TheCoralfishers depicts the beautiful landscape of the Neapolitan coast and the ancient trade of coral fishing, which was described by Roman author Pliny in his Naturalis Historia. The details of nature and light are strikingly real in Rosa’s painting thanks to his practice of exploring the coasts around Naples and sketching en plein air (in open air). We get a real sense of the warm light of sunset and the action of the fisherman at various stages of work.