Slovensko
Ker je Matteo Ghidoni pogosto slikal reveže, klateže, raztrgance, odslužene vojake, cigane …, so ga poimenovali slikar beračev – Matteo de’ Pitocchi. Njegove žanrske slike so bile po eni strani odsev resničnega, največkrat neizprosno trdega vsakdanjika preprostega življa v času po tridesetletni vojni, po drugi strani pa se je opiral na nizozemsko žanrsko tradicijo, ki se je v Rimu ukoreninila v drugi četrtini 17. stoletja s haarlemskim priseljencem Pietrom van Laerom, imenovanim Bamboccio (pritlikavec), in z njegovimi severnjaškimi slikarskimi somišljeniki – bamboccianti. Sprva so njihova dela posmehljivo označevali kot bambocciate, kmalu pa je te vrste žanrsko slikarstvo odmevalo tudi zunaj Rima, kakor dokazujejo prav dela Mattea Ghidonija.
Štiri njegove galerijske slike ustvarjajo dramatičen kalejdoskop žanrskih scen, potopljenih v mrakotni svet predimenzionirane, razpadajoče arhitekture ali pa utesnjenega skalnatega okolja. Najbolj vedro ozračje ohranja slika, ki nam prikazuje ljudsko veseljaštvo v razdrobljenih gručah ljudi. Navdušeni muzikanti in razvneti plesalci, žejni pivci za mizo v krčmi, v igro zatopljeni kvartopirci, strastni kadilci in poželjivi odjemalci javnih deklin sestavljajo pravi theatrum mundi, pri tem pa ne gre spregledati značilnih namigov na motiviko petih čutov, ki prav tako izvira iz severnjaških žanrskih upodobitev.
Matteo Ghidoni was called the painter of beggars, Matteo de’ Pitocchi, because he often painted the poor, vagabonds, tramps, former soldiers and gypsies. On the one hand, his genre paintings mirror the real, mostly unforgiving hard everyday life of the simple folk in the time after the Thirty Years’ War, and on the other hand reference the Dutch genre tradition that became rooted in Rome in the second quarter of the 17th century through the Haarlem immigrant, Pieter van Laer, called Il Bamboccio (midget) and his northern art followers – bamboccianti. Their works were at first derisively labelled as bambocciate, but soon this kind of genre spread outside of Rome, as evidenced by Matteo Ghidoni’s works.
Four of his paintings in the gallery create a dramatic kaleidoscope of genre scenes, submerged into the shadowy world of oversized, crumbling architecture or a confined rocky environment. The painting that maintains the most light-hearted atmosphere depicts a fete of scattered groups of people. Enthusiastic musicians and impassioned dancers, thirsty drinkers at a tavern’s table, card players immersed in the game, passionate smokers and lustful clients of harlots make up a real theatrum mundi. One should not overlook the characteristic clues about the motif of the five senses, which also originates in the northern genre depictions.
