The Virgin

Carlo Dolci prints bring the jewel-like colour, porcelain finish and deep devotion of Florentine Baroque painting into your home. Dolci was a Florentine painter famous for small, highly finished religious pictures, painted so slowly and carefully that he could spend weeks on a single foot. Our collection of fine art prints covers his saints, Madonnas, biblical scenes and portraits.

About Carlo Dolci

Carlo Dolci was born in Florence on 25 May 1616; his mother's father was a painter. Precocious, he was apprenticed young to Jacopo Vignali, and at eleven painted a figure of Saint John and a head of the infant Christ that won praise. A portrait of his mother in a new, delicate style brought him wider notice, and work followed from Florence and elsewhere in Italy, though he hardly ever left his home city.

Dolci was not prolific. His biographer Baldinucci said he "would take weeks over a single foot", and his painstaking technique made him unsuited to large frescoes. He painted mostly sacred subjects on a small scale and often repeated the same composition in several versions; his daughter Agnese, also a painter, made copies of his works.

He was known for his piety, and every year in Holy Week he painted a half-figure of Christ crowned with thorns. In 1682 he saw Luca Giordano, nicknamed "fa presto", paint more in five hours than he could in months, and fell into depression. He died in Florence on 17 January 1686 and was buried in the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata.

Style and Subjects

Dolci's paintings are small, intense and exquisitely finished, with smooth, enamel-like surfaces, deep jewel colours and soft, glowing light. His saints and Madonnas have gentle, often tearful expressions and lowered or upturned eyes, designed to inspire private devotion.

He paid extraordinary attention to detail: hair, fabrics, flowers and hands are painted with miniature-like precision against dark backgrounds.

Famous Works

• Portrait of Ainolfo de' Bardi (1632), Uffizi Gallery, Florence. An early portrait painted at sixteen.
• The Crucifixion of Saint Andrew (1646), Galleria Palatina, Florence. A large dramatic altarpiece.
• Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist (1651), Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden. Salome holding the saint's head, a subject he painted several times.
• The Angel of the Annunciation (1653), Louvre, Paris. The angel Gabriel with a lily, paired with the Virgin of the Annunciation.
• Mater Dolorosa (1655), National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo. The grieving Virgin in a deep blue mantle.
• Saint Matthew Writing His Gospel (1670), J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. The evangelist at work, guided by an angel.
• Saint Cecilia at the Organ (1671), Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden. The patron saint of music at her instrument.
• St Andrew Praying Before His Martyrdom. The apostle in prayer before the cross.

Decorating with Dolci Prints

Dolci's small, glowing religious images are ideal for a quiet bedroom, study or prayer corner, where their deep blues and reds can be enjoyed up close. A Madonna like Madonna in Glory suits a traditional interior with dark wood.

His saints make a striking pair in a hallway or library, especially in gilt frames.

FAQ

Who was Carlo Dolci?

Carlo Dolci (1616–1686) was an Italian Baroque painter from Florence, known for small, highly finished religious pictures.

Why did Carlo Dolci paint so slowly?

He worked with painstaking care; his biographer said he would take weeks over a single foot. This made him unsuited to large frescoes but gave his pictures their famous finish.

What did Carlo Dolci paint?

Mostly religious subjects: saints, Madonnas, Christ crowned with thorns and Salome, as well as a few portraits and flower pieces.

Where can I see Dolci's paintings?

The Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti in Florence, the Louvre, the Dresden Gemäldegalerie, the Getty Museum and the Royal Collection hold his work.

Related Artists

• Luca Giordano: the fast-working painter whose speed so dismayed him
• Guido Reni: Baroque painter of devotional saints and Madonnas
• Cristofano Allori: Florentine painter of the generation before