Oronzo Gargiulo
(1609 - 1675) |
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Landscapes, Secular Narratives, Frescos Art Work
| Name: |
Oronzo Gargiulo |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Place of Birth: |
Naples, Italy |
| Nationality: |
Italian |
| Birth: |
1609 |
| Death: |
1675 |
| Website: |
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| Past Auctions: |
Click Here |
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Quick Facts
| Known For: |
Landscapes, Secular Narratives, Frescos |
| Medium: |
fresco |
| Method: |
fresco |
| Style: |
Italian Baroque |
| Fine Art Profession(s): |
Painter
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Biography
The leading Neapolitan landscape specialist, Oronzo Gargiulo produced a variety of landscapes ranging from wild and evocative landscapes, similar to Rosa's romantic images, to idyllic pastorals reminiscent of Poussin. Contemporary events set in recognizable parts of the city and countryside as well as historic presentations of the migrations of Old Testament patriarchs, animals, and their retinues such as those popularized by Castiglione all reflect the breadth of Gargiulo's interests.
Nicknamed Spadaro after his father's trade as a swordsmith, Micco lived in Naples his entire life. Antonio Vaccaro is said to have taught Gargiulo life drawing. He entered Aniello Falcone's shop in 1628, working there with C. Coppola, Andrea di Lione, and Salvator Rosa. According to De Domenici, Gargiulo and Rosa worked closely together in Falcone's shop, painting landscapes from nature. His figures of travelers, peasants, and bandits were similar to those created by the Dutch Bamboccianti, suggesting that Gargiulo might have gone to Rome in the mid 1630s, where he would have seen paintings by Cerquozzi, Sweerts, Miel, and others. Gargiulo may simply have been aware of such Neapolitan collectors as Van den Einden and Roomer, they had assembled bambocciate paintings, which Gargiulo might have seen. He also cast an appreciative eye at the classicizing landscapes of Poussin and the work of Paul Bril.
When Filippo Napolitano arrived in Naples in 1627 he reinforced Gargiulo's inclination toward views of the Neapolitan coastline and countryside directly from nature. Gargiulo was also Viviano Codazzi's most important Neapolitan collaborator between 1635 and 1647, as can be noted in such pictures as The Villa Napoletana (dated 1641, Besancon, Musee des Beaux Arts) and the Adoration of the Shepherds (Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation). The Certosa of S. Martino in Naples occupied Gargiulo for nearly twenty years, 1638-56. His frescoes for the Camera degli Argenti (1638-40) are now destroyed, the Coro dei Conversi (1640-46) received scenes from the Old and New Testament. His ceiling(s) were overpainted by Guarino. For the choir he painted six illusionistic tapestries with scenes from the stories of the Carthusians, some of which derive directly from compositions by Callot, others more evidently his own invention. Between 1640 and 1647 he produced the Fall of Manna, painted lunettes in the Cape] la del Tesoro and the landscapes for the prior's apartment, with scenes of Carthusian history or biblical episodes. Finally, between 1651 and 1656, he painted the side walls of the church's atrium with episodes of the Carthusians1 English History. Primarily landscape, these scenes adopted a decorative, illusionistic style snowing his awareness of Pietro da Cortona, Schoenfeld, Poussin, and Luca Giordano. |
Samples of Work
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