''Aretino and Charles V's Ambassador'' is a painting by the French artist

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassical painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic orthodoxy against the ...

, produced in an 1815 and an 1848 version. It is in the troubador style and shows

Pietro Aretino Pietro Aretino (, ; 19 or 20 April 1492 – 21 October 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet, satirist and blackmailer, who wielded influence on contemporary art and politics. He was one of the most influential writers of his time and a ...

facing

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

's ambassador, who is trying to bribe him.

1815 version

The original version is an oil on panel and measures 44 cm x 33 cm (17 in. x 13 in.). It depicts Aretino standing as he confronts the emissary who stands at the left. Fearing the satirist's mockery after the debacle of Charles' Algiers expedition of 1541, the emperor has sent the ambassador to present Aretino with a gift of a gold chain, intended as a bribe. Holding the chain, Aretino declares: "Here is a trifling gift for so great a folly". A young man is in the background at the right. The painting is in a private collection, though a preparatory compositional sketch entered the Musée Ingres at

Montauban Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...

in 1867.

1848 version

In 1848 Ingres painted a replica that differs in several details. In contrast to his resolute standing pose in the original version, Aretino is shown seated languidly in a chair. In the background at the right is a young woman; at the left hangs a self-portrait by Aretino's friend

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...

.Radius, Emilio (1968). ''L'opera completa di Ingres''. Milan: Rizzoli. p. 97. It is painted on canvas and the dimensions are 44 cm x 35.8 cm (17 in. x 14 in.). This version was exhibited at the 1855 Exposition Universelle. Still owned by the family of Jean-Baptiste Marcotte-Genlis, it was also exhibited in Paris in 1913 and the 1990s.Beaux-Arts : dix points incontournables à propos de l’Arétin d’Ingres
Lyon Capitale, 26 December 2012. The painting was acquired in December 2012 by the

musée des beaux-arts de Lyon The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (french: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon) is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Lyon. Located near the Place des Terreaux, it is housed in a former Benedictine convent which was active during the 1 ...

for 750,000 Euros, including an 80,000 E from a public appeal, to which 1536 people had donated.

References

{{Authority control 1815 paintings 1848 paintings Paintings by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Paintings in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon