Tristano Martinelli

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Portrait of a Actor (Tristano Martinelli), formerly thought to be of Claudio Monteverdi, by Domenico Fetti (c 1621-22) (Galleria Accademia, Venice). Detail.
Portrait of a Actor (Tristano Martinelli), formerly thought to be of Claudio Monteverdi,[1] by Domenico Fetti (c 1621-22) (Galleria Accademia, Venice). Detail.

Tristano Martinelli (c. 1555 — 1630), called Dominus Arlecchinorum, the "Master of Harlequins", was an Italian actor in the commedia dell'arte tradition, probably the first to be called "Harlequin".[2]

Martinelli became attached to the Mantuan court of Duke Ferdinando I Gonzaga, with a regular stipend, about 1596-97. Within a few years he was overseeing all the professional acting troupes in the Gonzaga territories.[3] He was the most famous harlequin of his generation, pressed to divide his time between Mantua and the court of France. He played with a troupe called the Accesi for Henri IV in 1601, then returned to Mantua. Marie de' Medici urged him to return to Paris in 1611; after some careful advance publicity he arrived in Paris and played for the court from August 1613 to July 1614. He returned in the autumn of 1620 to play for the court of Louis XIII and remained until the following spring;[4] when the King decided to leave Paris to rejoin his troops in the field, the comédiens italiens elected to stay, though Martinelli caused conmsternation by electing to retire to Mantua. In 1623 he was in Venice, reciting with the troupe called the Fedeli.[5]

Martinelli commissioned numerous dramatic portraits of himself, including one by Domenico Fetti, which exists in several versions as well as copies. Cardinal Mazarin had Martinelli's portrait in his gallery. Louis XIII was willing to hold the child at the christening of one of Martinelli's children.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Pamela Askew, "Fetti's 'Portrait of an Actor' Reconsidered", The Burlington Magazine 120 No. 899 (February 1978:59-65).
  2. ^ Jarro (G. Picceni), L'epistolario dell'Arlecchino (Florence) 1896:12, noted by Askew 1978:64 note 32; M.K. Lea, Italian Popular Comedy 1934:vol. I:79.
  3. ^ The decree is tranlated in Winifred Smith, The Commedia dell'Arte (New York, 1912:63. (Askew 1978:64 note 33).
  4. ^ Askew 1978 provides dates from A. Baschet, Les comédiens italiens à la cour de France... (Paris 1882).
  5. ^ (Franca Angelini) Enciclopedio dello spettacolo, s.v. Tristano Martinelli".