The birth of Masaniello: poverty, society, and the visual in Naples and beyond

Abstract

This article demonstrates the role of the visual arts, alongside literature, in mythologizing Masaniello (d. 1647) as hero and martyr, despite the limited role he played in the so-called “Revolt of Masaniello” (1647–1648). In addition to printed accounts of the revolt in a variety of languages, Masaniello imagery circulated on paper and canvas, in marble and wax. His likeness was illustrated in chronicles of the uprising, but he also appeared in the “fine” and performing arts, where artists of varied media continuously refashioned his persona, from 1647 well into the nineteenth century. Comparisons are made between a red chalk portrait of Masaniello by Aniello Falcone and several “Old Master” predecessors, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarotti, to reveal how Neapolitan artists consciously inserted the rebel into a visual vernacular that transcended his historical specificity. This, combined with the international circulation of Masaniello print imagery, helped to consolidate the iconography of the Neapolitan peasant, the lazzaro, during and after the Grand Tour. The birth of Masaniello brings to light the quintessential elements of Neapolitan culture: its artistic heritage and political instability, its poverty and popular culture, its spiritual fervor and alleged danger.