Masterpieces of the little beggar

Milanese painter Giacomo Ceruti (1698 − 1767) was considered an average craftsman when it came to altarpieces or still lifes. It was in his genre paintings, for which he is best known then and now, that his skills blossomed. He immortalized peasants, beggars, poor children, and artisan women in masterful portraits. The backgrounds are mostly monochrome; landscape painting was not one of Ceruti's outstanding skills. To declare the »lower folk« the pictorial content of painting was highly unusual in Ceruti's time − and if so, it was more commonly known in the Netherlands. Ceruti was given his own nickname for his subjects, which were considered »unworthy of art« at the time: Pitocchetto, the little beggar.

The exhibition Giacomo Ceruti: A Compassionate Eye at the Getty Museum Los Angeles delves into the background of Ceruti's paintings. Interested visitors can learn what motivated the painter to create his works, how and where the paintings were exhibited during his lifetime, and how the division of society into rich and poor was viewed in the 18th century. Not much is known about Ceruti so far, so the presentation should come up with some new insights. The paintings will be on display from July 18 to October 29.