Abate Andrea Belvedere (born 1646) was an Italian painter of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

period.

Life and work

It is believed that the painter was born not in 1646, as De Dominici reported, but around 1652, based on the discovery, by Prota Giurleo, of the act of death from which it appears that he died in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

on 27 June 1732 at the age "of 80 years". The pictorial activity of Andrea Belvedere took place for twenty years, from about 1674 to 1694, the year in which he, evidently preceded by his notoriety, moved to Spain, called by King Charles II. His work at Spanish court continued until 1700, but on his return to

, Belvedere abandoned painting to devote himself completely to theatrical activity. Later Belvedere departed from the style of

Paolo Porpora Paolo Porpora (1617–1673) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque, who was active mainly in Naples and specialized in floral still life A still life (: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject m ...

, that is, from works with

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

-like period of still lives and flowers, apparently rejecting their mere "decorative" value. He appears to have been influenced by

Giuseppe Recco __NOTOC__ Giuseppe Recco (1634 – 29 May 1695) was an Italian painter in the Baroque style. He specialized in a variety of still lifes. Career Born in Naples, he likely apprenticed with his family, including his father Giacomo Recco and unc ...

and never rhetorical "Baroque" exuberance of

Giovan Battista Ruoppolo Giovan Battista Ruoppolo (1629–1693) was a Neapolitan painter of still-lifes. Life He was a pupil of Paolo Porpora (1617–1673), a contemporary of Salvatore Rosa. Additional Porpora pupils who formed a school of still-life painters in Naple ...

, deriving from them an exalting sense of light and vitality. Belvedere was described as the only great painter of still life at a time when in Naples this genre was rapidly declining. His originality of his art attracted a considerable number of younger artists. When he moved to Spain in 1692, he was employed by

Charles II of Spain Charles II (6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700) was King of Spain from 1665 to 1700. The last monarch from the House of Habsburg, which had ruled Spain since 1516, he died without an heir, leading to a European Great Power conflict over the succ ...

; and in conjunction with

Luca Giordano Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 – 3 January 1705) was an Italian late-Baroque painter and printmaker in etching. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain. Early l ...

(who painted the figures), he helped decorate the

Escorial El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (), or (), is a historical residence of the king of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, up the valley ( road distance) from the town of El Escorial and about n ...

. Napier describes Belvedere as imitator, yet also a competitor of the Flemish still-life painter

Abraham Brueghel Abraham Brueghel (baptised 28 November 1631 – c. 1690) was a Flemish people, Flemish painter from the famous Brueghel family of artists. He emigrated at a young age to Italy where he played an important role in the development of the style of ...

.* Among his pupils or followers were Gasparo Lopez, Baldassare de Caro, Tommaso Realfonso, and

Nicola Casissa Nicola Casissa (active early 18th-century, died 1731) was an Italian painter, active in Campania and Naples as a painter of still-life scenes of fruits, flowers, and birds. He was a pupil of Andrea Belvedere Abate Andrea Belvedere (born 1646) w ...

. Among the works we should mention above all: * ''Flower Wreath'' ( Sorrento, Museo Correale), datable around 1670; * the two "pendants" ''Bottle with Tulips'' and ''Bottle with Carnations'' ( Sorrento, Museo Correale); * ''the Peonies'' ( Sorrento, Museo Correale), to be placed between 1670 and 1680; * ''Carnations and Tulips'' and ''Carnations'' ( "Duca di Martina" Museum in Naples); * ''Pisces'' (signed, the only painting not of flowers, under the influence of Recco) (the Museum of S. Martino in Naples); * then follows the extraordinary picture with a flowery branch of elderberry commonly known as ''Oriensie'', (the

Museum of Capodimonte Museo di Capodimonte is an art museum located in the Palace of Capodimonte, a grand House of Bourbon, Bourbon palazzo in Naples, Italy designed by Giovanni Antonio Medrano. The museum is the prime repository of Neapolitan painting and decorativ ...

(mentioned by De Dominici in Valletta house)); * ''Ducks and Flowers'' (Florence,

Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

, signed); * ''Flowers, Fruit and Ducks'' ( Sorrento, Museo Correale); * ''Flowers in the Copper Basin'' and the ''Flowers, Fruit, Birds'' ( Sorrento, Museo Correale) between 1690 and 1695; * ''Flowers Around a Herm'' (

Stibbert Museum The Stibbert Museum () is located on via Frederick Stibbert on the hill of Montughi in Florence, Italy. The museum contains over 36,000 Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, including a vast Collection (museum), collection of armour from Eastern an ...

in Florence).

Notes

References

* Attribution: * {{DEFAULTSORT:Belvedere, Andrea 1646 births 17th-century Neapolitan people 17th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Italian still life painters Italian Baroque painters Painters from Naples Year of death unknown