Carlo Maratta
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Carlo Maratta or Maratti (May 13, 1625 - 1713) was an Italian painter of High Baroque, active mostly in Rome.
[edit] Biography
Born in Camerano (Marche), then part of the Papal States, and died in Rome. He came as a boy of 12 to apprentice in the studio of Andrea Sacchi. Like Sacchi, his paintings have a classicizing tone, inspired by the works of the great painters from Parma and Bologna: Carracci, Guercino, and Lanfranco. He developed a close relationship with Sacchi till the death of his master in 1661. He worked alongside Francesco Cozza, and Domenico Maria Canuti in the decoration of the Palazzo Altieri.
His first prominent work is an Adoration of the Shepherds for San Giuseppe die Falegnami in 1650. He came to establish one of the most prominent art studios in Rome of his time. The painting style of Maratta is a classicized Baroque, more restrained and composed than the styles of Cortona and Carracci, thus more allied to the traditions of Sacchi, Albani, and Reni. He was one of the artists favored by Giovanni Bellori. Maratti was known for his insightful portraiture[1].
In 1650, Maratta was introduced to pope Alexander VII, who commissioned many paintings including one of his greatest works, a painting of Constantine destroying the idols for the Baptistry of the Lateran. This work brought Maratta increased fame in the Vatican, and in 1704 Maratta was knighted by pope Clement XI. other works include an altarpiece in the San Francesco Saverio Chapel of the Church of the Gesu, in the right transept.
He died at Rome in 1713.
Among his many pupils were Francesco Trevisani, Antonio Balestra, Giacinto Calandrucci, Martino Altomonte, Cosmas Damian Asam, Girard Audran, Giovanni Raffaello Badaracco, Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari, Domenico Parodi, Pierre Parrocel, Giuseppe Passeri, Paolo Gerolamo Piola, and Tommaso Redi.
[edit] Partial Anthology
- Birth of the Virgin, 1643-45, Church of Saint Clare, Nocera Umbra.
- WGA site and gallery
[edit] External links
- National gallery (UK) web site entry for Carlo Maratta (accessed Jan. 2006)
- Wittkower, Rudolf (1993). “Art and Architecture Italy, 1600-1750”, Pelican History of Art, 1980, Penguin Books Ltd, pp337-339.
