Portrait of Paganini - Sir Edwin Landseer
Theme : Art and Culture

A print (c.1834?) of the supreme virtuoso figure in romantic period music, Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840), the Italian violinist and composer. He mesmerised audiences with his brilliance, touring Europe from 1828 onwards, coming to Britain (1831-4), before returning to Parma. Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-73) captured him in a series of rapid sketches, here showing Paganini in a characteristic pose, left leg forward. S & R Redgrave note in A Century of British Painters, 'Landseer's method of work is characterised by great facility of execution... it is evident that his quite early work was carefully and minutely finished, and the rapidity of his later execution came from his perfect mastery and power over his brush.' This work is part of the Deffett Francis Collection.

This Item is located at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in the Permanent Collection