Andrea Soldi (1703–1771) was an Italian portraitist active in Britain.

Life

The only remaining source for this painter's early years is

George Vertue George Vertue (1684 – 24 July 1756) was an English engraver and antiquary, whose notebooks on British art of the first half of the 18th century are a valuable source for the period. Life Vertue was born in 1684 in St Martin-in-the-Fields, ...

, who in 1738 stated he was "about thirty-five or rather more", had been born in Florence and had come to England in about 1736 on the advice of British merchants belonging to the

Levant Company The Levant Company was an English chartered company formed in 1592. Elizabeth I of England approved its initial charter on 11 September 1592 when the Venice Company (1583) and the Turkey Company (1581) merged, because their charters had expired ...

, who had commissioned their portraits from him during his travels in the Middle East. From 1738 to 1744 he won much success in London's art market and among Italophile noblemen back from their

Grand Tour The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tu ...

, being preferred to both English portrait practice (fluctuating between

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

and

Kneller Kneller is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Andreas Kneller (1649–1724), German composer *Arthur Kneller (1894–1969), English cricketer *Clive Kneller, actor in ''Enlightenment'' *Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723), German-bo ...

-like styles) and to other Italian portraitists in England at the time, such as the

Cavaliere Rusca Francesco Carlo Rusca, or Carlo Francesco Rusca, also known as Ritter von Rusca (1 January 1693 – 11 May 1769) was an itinerant Italian-Swiss painter, best known for his portraits. Life and work Little is known of his early life. He w ...

(worked in London 1738–39), and

Andrea Casali Andrea Casali (17 November 1705 – 7 September 1784) was an Italian painter of the Rococo period. He was also an art dealer in England. ''Angelica e Medoro'', Bemberg Fondation Toulouse He was born in Civitavecchia in the Papal States and st ...

(worked in London 1741–66). Beginning "above thirty portraits" from April to August 1738 alone (according to Vertue), Soldi's only serious rival was Jean-Baptiste van Loo (in London 1737–42). Particular patrons included the 2nd Duke of Manchester, 3rd Duke of Manchester, 3rd Duke of Beaufort and 4th Viscount Fauconberg. Soldi was imprisoned for debt in 1744, and died in London in 1771, Joshua Reynolds paying for his funeral.

Works, arranged by sitter

* ''Belasyse'' ** eight portraits of the 4th Viscount Fauconberg (

Newburgh Priory Newburgh Priory is a Grade 1 listed Tudor building near Coxwold, North Yorkshire, England. Originally a house of Augustinian canons, it was founded in 1145 and became a family home following the dissolution of the priory in 1538. The present h ...

, North Yorkshire) ** full-length of Lord Fauconberg (c. 1739; Newburgh Priory, North Yorkshire) * ''Cibber'' **

Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in a personal, anecdotal and even rambling ...

(c.1738, also painted by van Loo) * ''Head'' ** Rev. Sir Francis Head, Bt. and his three daughters, 1750.Seen pre-1990 in the Somerville-Head family's private collection at Gunton Hall, Norfolk; cited in ''The Great Emporium'', C. C. Barford and Richard Todd (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1990) * ''McSwiny'' ** Owen McSwiny, art dealer (c.1738, also painted by van Loo) * ''Montagu'' ** eight portraits of the 2nd and 3rd Dukes of Manchester (sold at

Kimbolton Castle Kimbolton Castle is a country house in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, England. It was the final home of King Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Originally a medieval castle but converted into a stately palace, it was the family seat of t ...

, Cambridgeshire, 18 July 1949) ** seated three-quarter-length of Isabella Montagu, Duchess of Manchester (wife of the 2nd Duke of Manchester), as Diana (1738; London, Colnaghi's, 1986) * '' Scudamore '' ** four portraits of the 3rd Duke of Beaufort (

Badminton House Badminton House is a large country house and Grade I Listed Building in Badminton, Gloucestershire, England, which has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century. The house, which has given its name to t ...

, Gloucestershire) * ''Sheppard'' ** Two three-quarter-length portraits called ''Thomas Sheppard'' (1733 and 1735-6; ex-art market, London, 1917 and 1924, see Ingamells, 1974) * ''Soldi'' ** Self-portrait (1743;

York Art Gallery York Art Gallery is a public art gallery in York, England, with a collection of paintings from 14th-century to contemporary, prints, watercolours, drawings, and ceramics. It closed for major redevelopment in 2013, reopening in summer of 2015. T ...

) * ''Stuart'' **

James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales fr ...

, Old Pretender of Scotland, half-length portrait (1755, location unknown)

Gallery

File:Sirhenryclinton2.jpg, Henry Clinton, c.1762-65 File:James Gibbs.jpg,

James Gibbs James Gibbs (23 December 1682 – 5 August 1754) was one of Britain's most influential architects. Born in Aberdeen, he trained as an architect in Rome, and practised mainly in England. He is an important figure whose work spanned the transi ...

, c.1750

References

Bibliography

* 'The Concise Grove Dictionary of Art.', 2002, Oxford University Press

Sources

Andrea Soldi
at ARTCYCLOPEDIA
''Portrait of Henry Lannoy Hunter in Oriental Dress, Resting from Hunting, with a Manservant Holding Game''
by Soldi (

Tate Britain Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in E ...

)
Andrea Soldi on artnetIngamells, Andrea Soldi, a Check-List of his work, in The Volume of the Walpole Society, vol. 47.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldi, Andrea Italian portrait painters 18th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 1703 births 1771 deaths People imprisoned for debt 18th-century Italian male artists