Narcissus and Echo

Before moving to Rome in the early 1720s, Costanzi studied with Francesco Trevisani and then Benedetto Luti, staying with each master for five years. It was not until his arrival in Rome that he established himself as a successful independent artist working for the local market in both secular and ecclestiastic commissions; for instance, he produced domestic decorations for Cardinal Giulio Alberoni and the Spanish Ambassador, Cardinal Francesco Acquaviva d'Aragona, and, in 1727 frescoes for the nave of San Gregorio al Celio. Costanzi's fame was such that he attracted commissions from many foreigners and Grand Tourists passing through Rome. In 1735 he was one of the artists commissioned to decorate the throne room for King Philip V at the Palace of San Ildefonso (La Granja). He also executed paintings for international figures including the Duke of Savoy, Frederick the Great, and the Duke of Northumberland.

Narcissus and Echo recalls the Ovidian tale (Metamorphosis, 3, pp. 339-510) in which the nymph, Echo, falls in love with the handsome Narcissus. Echo was condemned by the goddess Juno to repeat only the last words that were spoken to her. As a punishment for spurning the love-lorn nymph, Narcissus was made to fall in love with his own reflection. In the present work Placido Costanzi depicts this moment where the youth, entirely self-absorbed, gazes upon his own reflection in the still waters of the pool by which he and his hunting dogs rest.