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Notes
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Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840) is posed as though playing the violin, gazing across the instrument to his left. The artist has attempted a study of Paganini's much-discussed long fingers, and the image shows Paganini to be playing on a single string (the G string). Whilst in many portraits the three remaining strings are shown by artists to be dangling from the scroll end of the instrument, here they are shown both at the scroll end and at the bridge. The bow is well-depicted. Lower right is a small scroll of music with the initials 'N. P.', whilst a window in the upper right corner lets in a little blue sky, white cloud and light. Whilst printed images of Paganini in England were somewhat wild and full of caricature, the few painted versions were 'matter-of-fact'.
Title
Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840)
Date
1831
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 102 x W 85 cm
Accession number
2005.2549
Acquisition method
on loan from Dover Museum, since 2005
Work type
Painting
Inscription description
D. Maclise 1831 (but not by him)
