French 1600-1682 Claude Lorrain Galleries In Rome, not until the mid-17th century were landscapes deemed fit for serious painting. Northern Europeans, such as the Germans Elsheimer and Brill, had made such views pre-eminent in some of their paintings (as well as Da Vinci in his private drawings or Baldassarre Peruzzi in his decorative frescoes of vedute); but not until Annibale Carracci and his pupil Domenichino do we see landscape become the focus of a canvas by a major Italian artist. Even with the latter two, as with Lorrain, the stated themes of the paintings were mythic or religious. Landscape as a subject was distinctly unclassical and secular. The former quality was not consonant with Renaissance art, which boasted its rivalry with the work of the ancients. The second quality had less public patronage in Counter-Reformation Rome, which prized subjects worthy of "high painting," typically religious or mythic scenes. Pure landscape, like pure still-life or genre painting, reflected an aesthetic viewpoint regarded as lacking in moral seriousness. Rome, the theological and philosophical center of 17th century Italian art, was not quite ready for such a break with tradition. In this matter of the importance of landscape, Lorrain was prescient. Living in a pre-Romantic era, he did not depict those uninhabited panoramas that were to be esteemed in later centuries, such as with Salvatore Rosa. He painted a pastoral world of fields and valleys not distant from castles and towns. If the ocean horizon is represented, it is from the setting of a busy port. Perhaps to feed the public need for paintings with noble themes, his pictures include demigods, heroes and saints, even though his abundant drawings and sketchbooks prove that he was more interested in scenography. Lorrain was described as kind to his pupils and hard-working; keenly observant, but an unlettered man until his death. The painter Joachim von Sandrart is an authority for Claude's life (Academia Artis Pictoriae, 1683); Baldinucci, who obtained information from some of Claude's immediate survivors, relates various incidents to a different effect (Notizie dei professoni del disegno). John Constable described Claude Lorrain as "the most perfect landscape painter the world ever saw", and declared that in Claude??s landscape "all is lovely ?C all amiable ?C all is amenity and repose; the calm sunshine of the heart"  Related Paintings of Claude Lorrain :. | Apollo and the Muses on Mount Helion | Seaport with the embarkation of Saint Ursula | A Brook in Subiaco (mk17) | Landscape with Christ and the Magdalen (mk17) | Marine with the Trojans Burning their Boats dfg |
Related Artists:
Niccolo di Pietro Gerini
Italian Painter, active ca.1368-1415 died in Florence in 1415, earned reputation of an important Italian painter. He represents giottesque school, in the tradition of the Andrea di Orcagna (1320-1368) and of Taddeo Gaddi. His father Pietro Geri is registered as a member of Lucas Guild in 1339. Niccolo worked mainly in Florence, although he also carried out commissions in Rome (Vatican), Pisa and Prato. He was first recorded in 1368 as a member of the Arte dei Medici e Speziali in Florence but is identifiable with the Niccolo dipintore who collaborated with Jacopo di Cione on frescoes for the Guildhall of the Judges and Notaries in Florence in 1366. It is self-evident that he is the Niccolaio dipintore who worked with Jacopo di Cione on the altarpiece of the Coronation of the Virgin (presently in London, National Gallery) for St Pier Maggiore, Florence in 1370 and was paid 12 golden florins per disegnare la tavola dell altare in November of the same year. He designed the altarpiece and the elaborate throne canopy with his usual fine painting and detailed ornaments whilst Jacopo di Cione was depicting side saints. This altarpiece is amongst of very few largest commissioned in 14th century Florence. It was seemingly commissioned by Albizzi family. He was collaborating with Jacopo di Cione on Coronation of the Virgin (Accademia, Florence) in 1372. Offner and Steinweg suggest that he was responsible for the design and fine painting and Jacopo for the execution of saints. It was commissioned by the mint of Florence Zecca Vecchia on the same year. In 1383 Gerini again worked with Cione on a fresco of the Annunciation in the Palazzo dei Priori, Volterra. This fresco clearly shows the work of two very different artists: Niccolo di Pietro Gerini (design and very fine painting) and Jacopo di Cione (broadly painted saints and side decoration). In 1386 Niccolo frescoed the façade of the Bigallo, Florence. He also frescoed Sant Ambrogio church in Florence Gerini performed the Crocefissione of St Felicita church in Florence. His hand is clearly on sacrestia of the basilica of Saint Croce to Florence with Scenes of the life of Christ. Between 1391 and 1392 he worked in Prato where he frescoed Palazzo Datini, church of Saint Francisco with Lorenzo di Niccolo and Agnolo Gaddi. He also frescoed capitolare of the church of Saint Francisco, Pisa. Very typically for Gothic depiction Gerini figures have large chins, sloping foreheads, and sharp noses whilst their bodies are squat and frontally displaced. Another important artist Lorenzo di Niccol?? di Martino was trained in Niccol?? di Pietro Gerini workshop and later collaborated with the master but was not his son as sometimes erroneously stated. Gerini though had a son Bindo di Niccolo di Pietro Gerini, born in 1363, who is registered as member of Lucas Guild since 1408. Niccolo di Pietro Gerini works can be found in major art galleries of Rome, Vatican, Florence, London, Milan, New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, St Petersburg, Boston, Cambridge, Budapest, Birmingham, Pegalo, Prato, Pisa, Altenburg, Avignon, Denver and several other museums.
Antonio Maria Esquivel
Nacio en Sevilla en 1806. Comenzo los estudios de pintura en la Academia de Bellas Artes de Sevilla. Alli se familiarizo con la tecnica pictorica y el detallismo al estilo de Murillo. En 1831, se traslado a Madrid, donde concurso en la Academia de San Fernando, siendo nombrado academico de merito. En contacto con el ambiente intectual madrileno de esos anos, participo activamente en la fundacion del Liceo Artistico y Literario en 1837, donde daria clases de Anatomia, asignatura que impartiria tambien mas tarde en la Academia de San Fernando. En 1839, otra vez en Sevilla, sufrio una enfermedad que le dejo practicamente ciego; el artista, sumido en una profunda depresion, se intento suicidar arrojandose al rio Guadalquivir. Enterados sus companeros y amigos poetas y artistas y movilizados por el Liceo para ayudarle, sufragaron entre todos un caro tratamiento realizado por un prestigioso oftalmologo frances. Gracias a esto, en 1840 sano y recupero la vision. El artista, agradecido, pinto a sus amigos, poetas y pintores del Romanticismo, en un cuadro que se ha hecho justamente celebre. Como reconocimientos oficiales, recibo la placa del Sitio de Cadiz y la Cruz de Comendador de la Orden de Isabel la Catolica. En 1843 es nombrado Pintor de Camara y en 1847 academico de San Fernando, siendo ademas miembro fundador de la Sociedad Protectora de Bellas Artes. Como teorico de la pintura, redacto un Tratado de Anatomia Pictorica, cuyo original se guarda en el Museo del Prado. Fallecio en Madrid en 1857. Sus hijos Carlos Maria (1830-1867) y Vicente tambien fueron pintores.
Feuer im Dorf
painted Feuer im Dorf in1854