Violence of a Nonviolent Painting

The Case of the "Portrait of Beatrice Cenci"

Abstrakti

Beatrice Cenci (1577–1599) was an Italian noblewoman who was executed for the murder of her abusive father. Over the centuries, numerous reinterpretations of her story have circulated and contributed to the formation of an idealized image of Beatrice as a virtuous young woman, who faced an unjust end. An assumed portrait initially attributed to Guido Reni (1575–1642) and currently to Ginevra Cantofoli (1618–1672) has played a crucial role in the creation of several variations of her legend. A copy of the painting is also located in Finnish National Gallery’s collections. In this article I will present examples of the handling of Beatrice’s story and her “portrait” during Romantic period in England and in the Finnish press in the 19^th century.