Francesco Solimena (1657 - 1747)

As the last great Baroque painter of Naples and pioneer of Neapolitan Rococo, Francesco Solimena followed Luca Giordano (1634– 1705) who, in the second half of the 17th century, explored new avenues with his bold spatial compositions and brilliant renderings. Francesco studied art with his father Angelo, who introduced him to Neapolitan painting in all its facets: apart from provincial artists, he studied the painting techniques of Jusepe de Ribera (1591–1652) and Luca Giordano. In 1674, Solimena moved to Naples and studied the works of Giovanni Lanfranco (1582– 1647) and Mattia Pretis (1613–1699). Although the artist hardly ever travelled – two short visits to Rome – he received commissions from all over central Europe and influenced subsequent generations of artists. Baroque phases alternated with classicistic balance and clarity, which he learned in Rome with Carlo Maratta (1625–1713).

Author: Habersatter Thomas

Literature: DUCKE Astrid, HABERSATTER Thomas, OEHRING Erika: Masterworks. Residenzgalerie Salzburg. Salzburg 2015, S. 24