Giovanni Battista Gaulli called Baciccio (1639 - 1709)

Due to the plague, Gaulli’s apprenticeship with one of Luciano Borzoni’s sons ended in 1657. Having lost many family members, Gaulli left Genoa for Rome. Art merchant Pellegrino Peri provided him with accommodation and commissions. Gian Lorenzo Bernini recognised his talent for portraiture and introduced him into the Roman aristocracy and to Pope Alexander VII. Through Bernini’s support, Gaulli rose to become a celebrated fresco-painter, portraitist and brilliant painter of altar-pieces and pictures for galleries. He held several offices in the "Accademia di San Luca", and in 1673 became head of the institution. His main work is the ceiling fresco in the Church of Il Gesù.

Author: Ducke Astrid

Literature: Ducke Astrid, Habersatter Thomas (Hrsg./Edi.): von | from 0 auf | to 100. Residenzgalerie Salzburg 1923-2023. Salzburg 2023, S./p. 140