Marco Benefial
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Marco Benefial (25 April 1684 – 9 April 1764) "Marco Benefial (Getty Museum)" (history), The Getty Museum, 2006, webpage:
GM-Benefial
.
was an
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
, proto- Neoclassical painter, mainly active in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
. Benefial is best known for his repudiation of 18th century decorative
Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
styles pre-eminent in the Rome dominated by
Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (13 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition ...
pupils. His paintings portrayed tangible human figures, with complex treatment of space, and luminous, warm colors. Along with the altarpieces and frescoes, he also painted many portraits. Because he partnered with some inferior artists who subsequently received credit, some of his paintings have been frequently misidentified.


Life and work

Marco Benefial was born in Rome in 1684, and died there in 1764. ''Rest of the Holy Family''
Musée des Beaux-Arts
Carcassonne When at the age of 19 years, one of his paintings, an altarpiece with ''Apotheosis of San Filippo Neri'', was rejected for exhibition at the yearly
Pantheon Pantheon may refer to: * Pantheon (religion), a set of gods belonging to a particular religion or tradition, and a temple or sacred building Arts and entertainment Comics *Pantheon (Marvel Comics), a fictional organization * ''Pantheon'' (Lone S ...
show in 1703, Benefial became incensed and displayed it in a pharmacist's window, to much commotion. In 1720, he protested the
Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...
's decree that only members or those meeting the approval of the painter's guild could teach drawing. The decree also required students to provide the academy with a fee equal to a pound of wax. His appeal to the councils of
Pope Clement XI Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI w ...
succeeded in having the ruling revoked. After Benefial was finally elected into the Accademia di San Luca at the age of 57, he soon denounced its members' mediocrity and ignorance; and was expelled years later in 1755. In 1716, he had painted a ''San Saturnino'' for the church of
Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Rome) The Basilica of Saints John and Paul on the Caelian Hill (Italian: ''Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio'') is an ancient basilica church in Rome, located on the Caelian Hill. It was originally built in 398. It is home to the Passionis ...
. His 1718 papal commission for a ''Jonah'', painted for
Basilica of St. John Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...
, was rewarded also by the papacy with the title of
Cavaliere The Italian honours system is a means to reward achievements or service to the Italian Republic, formerly the Kingdom of Italy including the Italian Social Republic. Orders of chivalry Italian Republic There are five orders of knighthoo ...
. During 1720-27, he completed painting on the ''Story of san Lorenzo'' for the Duomo of Viterbo. In 1721, he completed a ''Pieta with angels & symbols of the passion'' for the church in the monastery of Santa Maria dei Sette Dolori. He painted for the church of Santa Maria alle Fornaci, two lunettes on the story of ''John the Baptist''. From 1722-1727, he completed four canvases for the ''Collegiata del Crocifix'' in
Monreale Monreale (; ; Sicilian: ''Murriali'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy. It is located on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called ''"La Conca d'oro"'' (the Golde ...
. In 1729-1732, he painted two canvases of ''Santa Margherita da Cortona'' for the church of
Santa Maria in Aracoeli The Basilica of St. Mary of the Altar of Heaven ( la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae de Ara coeli in Capitolio, it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Ara coeli al Campidoglio) is a titular basilica in Rome, located on the highest summit of the Campidoglio. ...
, as commissioned by cardinal Pietro Marcello Corradini. He often collaborated in paintings with Filippo Evangelista. His initial training in Rome was under Bonaventura Lambert, a pupil of
Carlo Cignani Carlo Cignani (15 May 1628 – 8 September 1719) was an Italian painter. His innovative style referred to as his 'new manner' introduced a reflective, intimate mood of painting and presaged the later pictures of Guido Reni and Guercino, as well ...
, and he helped in the painting of the Chapel of the Sacrament in
Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...
and in the Carmelite Convent of San Alberto. He is remembered for urging a return to the classical foundations of Italian painting, as exemplified by
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
, del Sarto, and
Carracci The Carracci were a family of Italian artists. Notable members include: * Agostino Carracci (1557–1602), Italian painter and printmaker * Annibale Carracci (1560–1609), Italian Baroque painter and brother of Agostino Carracci * Ludovico Carracc ...
. Among his pupils were
Anton Raphael Mengs Anton Raphael Mengs (22 March 1728 – 29 June 1779) was a German people, German painter, active in Dresden, Rome, and Madrid, who while painting in the Rococo period of the mid-18th century became one of the precursors to Neoclassicism, Neoclas ...
, Antonio Liozzi, Giovanni Battista Ponfredi,Supplemento alla Serie dei trecento elogi e ritratti degli uomini i più illustri in Pittura , Scultura, e Architettura.
by Pellegrino Antonio Orlandi, published by Stamperia Allegrini, Pisoni, e comp, Florence (1776); column 1353.
Gioacchino Martorana Gioacchino Martorana (19 August 1736 – 27 November 1779) was a Sicilian painter. He was the son of Pietro Martorana and a member of an extended family of decorators and artists from Palermo. Martorana was born in Palermo, in the Med ...
,
Mariano Rossi Mariano Rossi (7 December 1731 - 24 October 1807) was an Italian painter, persisting in what had become an anachronistic Rococo style amid an ascendant neoclassical environment. His placement legions of figures in a complex scenography and quadr ...
, and the English portrait painter, John Parker.


Notes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Benefial, Marco 1684 births 1764 deaths 17th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 18th-century Italian painters Painters from Rome 18th-century Italian male artists