The Domenichino Affair Novelty, Imitation, and Theft in Seventeenth-century Rome Elizabeth Cropper

Ten years after completing his work The Last Communion of Saint Jerome, Bolognese painter Domenichino was accused by his rival Giovanni Lanfranco of stealing the idea for the painting from an altarpiece crafted by Lanfranco's teacher, Agostino Carracci. The resulting scandal reverberated through the centuries, drawing responses by artists and critics from Poussin and Malvasia to Fuseli and Delacroix. Why was Domenichino attacked in this way when other related paintings - including Raphael's Marriage of the Virgin and Perugino's painting of the same subject - aroused no such negative response? In this fast-paced book, Elizabeth Cropper investigates the Domenichino affair and addresses the perennial debate regarding the precise nature of originality and of imitation. She offers close readings of the paintings involved in the story, detailed analysis of attitudes toward imitation, emulation and plagiarism, and a fascinating discussion of what Domenichino's plight signifies in art history.

Elizabeth Cropper is Dean, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

'...a beautifully produced volume with generous illustrations which accompany the closely argued, detailed and clear text...impeccably scholarly, but approachable... This is essential reading for scholars and students, not only of Italian art, but also of literature and theory of the 16th and 17th centuries.' - Clare Ford-Wille, The Art Newspaper

'Her analysis is precise, thoughtful and resolute...[and] Cropper produces an abundance of detailed evidence...Within the milieu of scholars writing on questions of imitation, Cropper's effort to reignite the debate surrounding novelty, imitation and theft is particularly valiant...Elegantly and persuasively written, The Domenichino Affair does full justice to the complexity of its subject matter and makes an impressive contribution to the understanding of intellectual property.' - Sophie Carr, The Art Book, August 2006