“Il Corso Mascherato, Rome”
For today, a Peruvian artist’s perspective on a passeggiata in Rome…
“Il Corso Mascherato, Rome” is a lively oil on panel painting by the Peruvian academic artist, Daniel Hernández Morillo. It was likely painted sometime between 1874 and 1883 when Morillo was studying art in Rome, Italy.
In this painting, Morillo is depicting a social event known as passeggiata, the parading in line of people down a corvo, or promenade street in Rome, Italy. The social event of marching down promenades has been a practice for centuries in many cities within the Mediterranean countries to mark political or religious events. Carnivals, triumphs, coronations, and festivals are some events that would spur this parade-like celebration.
In Rome during the nineteenth century, participants in this social event would often ride in carriages down Via del Corso while onlookers who lined the streets in cafes would watch. These affairs were bustling and energetic, features which Morillo captures perfectly in his painting.
As an academic style artist, Morillo had moved to Rome to study the art of the Renaissance masters. In Rome, he studied at the Art Academy under the tutelage of Lorenzo Vallés, the Spanish history painter.
“Il Corso Mascherato, Rome” was last sold on April 18, 2008, at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City. It is currently in a private collection.
For more on Daniel Hernández Morillo, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
