Portret van de graveur Luigi Celli Cremonese c. 1829

This is Giovanni Cornacchia's portrait of Luigi Celli Cremonese, made with etching. Note the sitter's gaze, directed away from us, almost lost in thought. This pose, repeated across centuries and cultures, echoes the ancient motif of melancholy and introspection. The romantic era grappled with heightened emotions and subjective experience, and portraits started reflecting the inner states of the sitter. The turn of the head here isn’t just a physical orientation; it is a journey inward, a symbolic rejection of the external world in favour of internal reflection. We see the sitter not as a man of action but contemplation. Think of the countless depictions of saints in similar poses, eyes cast heavenward, lost in divine contemplation. Or even the portraits of philosophers, pondering the mysteries of existence. These visual parallels underscore how the gesture embodies profound introspection and emotional depth. It's a powerful pose, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. The motif of looking away evolves, resurfaces, and takes on new meanings across historical contexts.