
Cesare Mariani (January 13, 1826 – February 21, 1901) was an Italian painter and architect of the late-19th century, active in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
and
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno (; ; ) is a (municipality) and capital of the province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Italy, Italian region of Marche.
Geography
The town lies at the confluence of the Tronto, River Tronto and the small Castellano (river), River Castell ...
.
Early life and training
He was born in Rome to Pietro and Maria Agnelletti; his father worked for the Giustiniani family. This helped him access in 1837 to studies at the
Accademia San Luca of Rome. His first masters were a painter by the name of Delicati and G. Silvagni, who taught design at the academy. He entered the studio of
Tommaso Minardi from 1842 to 1850. There he worked alongside
Guglielmo De Sanctis,
Cesare Fracassini,
Nicola Consoni, and
Cesare Marianecci. One of his works were displayed at the Universal Exposition in London of 1851. His work was influenced by works of
Ingres
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( ; ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...
and the
Nazarene movement
The epithet Nazarene was adopted by a group of early 19th-century German Romantic painters who aimed to revive spirituality in art. The name Nazarene came from a term of derision used against them for their affectation of a biblical manner of c ...
, but also by
Francesco Hayez
Francesco Hayez (; 10 February 1791 – 12 February 1882) was an Italian painter. He is considered one of the leading artists of Romanticism in mid-19th-century Milan, and is renowned for his grand historical paintings, political allegories, and ...
's interest in
genre depiction, and which differed from the more academic style of
Vincenzo Cammuccini. Mariani painted a portrait for the ''Monument to Cardinal R. Fornari'' (1855,
Santa Maria sopra Minerva
Santa Maria sopra Minerva is one of the major Church (building), churches of the Order of Preachers (also known as the Dominicans) in Rome, Italy. The church's name derives from the fact that the first Christian church structure on the site was b ...
, Rome).
Mature work
His easel paintings gave him a good degree of success. He moved into a room in the Palazzo Dovizielli on
Via Margutta
Via Margutta is a narrow street in the centre of Rome, near Piazza del Popolo, accessible from Via del Babuino in the ancient Campo Marzio neighborhood also known as ''"the foreigner's quarter"''. Mount Pincio is nearby. Via Margutta origi ...
. Sharing the flat were painter
Bernardo Celentano and Fracassini. Here he painted ''Sappho'' (1858), followed by ''The Diviner'', ''Astrologer in the act of Divination'', and a ''Music Lesson'' exhibited in the 1861 Universal Exhibition in
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
. Mainardi gained commissions in frescoes for many churches and palaces in Rome, Lazio, Umbria and finally in the Marche and Abruzzo. For example, he helped complete the decoration (1857–1860) for the rebuilt basilica of
San Paolo fuori le Mura, working on ''Paul laying on of hands on Barnabas in Antioch'' and ''The Magician Elymas in Pafo del Sud''.
His also worked on the decoration of the church of
Santa Maria in Monticelli, restored by the architect
Francesco Azzurri. Mariani entirely frescoed the vault with Christian heroines, the presbytery with ''Christ'' and ''Christ teaches children between the crowds in the hall of the temple'', the wall above the organ with ''Moses and the burning bush'', ''Jacob's Dream'', the choir with ''Saint Cecilia in the midst of a choir of angels'', painted in monochrome on a design by
Minardi
Minardi was an Italian automobile racing team and constructor founded in Faenza in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. It competed in the Formula One World Championship from 1985 until 2005 with little success, nevertheless acquiring a loyal following ...
. In 1862 he moved to
Arpino
Arpino (Southern Latian dialect: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Frosinone, in the Latin Valley, region of Lazio in central Italy, about 100 km SE of Rome. Its Roman name was Arpinum. The town produced two consuls of the ...
to decorate the ceiling of the Palazzo Sangermano, with a fresco depicting ''Chariot of Venus with some nymphs'', for which he was paid 200 scudi.
In 1863, he married
Virginia Barlocci, herself a painter and ceramist, widow of the painter
Bernardino Riccardi, and by September of the same year he was appointed academic of merit in the
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca () 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 first ''principe'' or director; ...
.
In 1865, he completed frescoes for the church of
Santa Maria in Aquiro
Santa Maria in Aquiro is a church in Rome, Italy. It is dedicated in honor of Mary, mother of Jesus, and is located on Piazza Capranica.
The church is ancient—it was restored by Pope Gregory III in the 8th century, and thus must have existed ...
, during its restoration by G. Morichini between 1861 and 1866. Here he painted three octagons with angels in the ceiling, with evangelists and angels on the pendents. He also painted the four ''Doctors of the Church'' on pillars of the nave and the Eternal Father on a
gold background in the dome.
In 1868, he became a member of the Artistic Commission for Roman Copperplate Engraving. After the death of
Cesare Fracassini, Mariani, along with
Francesco Grandi, and
Coghetti, were asked to complete the fresco decoration of the newly rebuilt
Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura. He painted a ''Martyrdom'' and ''Burial of St Stephen'', both destroyed during the bombing of 1943 (the ''Martyrdom'' was reproduced in 1920 by G. Fantoni of Gemona on the vault of the parish of San Stefano in San Stino of Livenza). He helped decorate the Sanctuary of Santa Maria Auxilium Christianorum Trevi, near
Montefalco
Montefalco is a historic small hill town in Umbria, Italy, with a population of 5,581 in August 2017. It has been settled since pre-Roman times, and retains many of its historic buildings. From 1446 to 1861 it was part of the Papal States. It is on ...
in Umbria. On the vault, he painted ''Apostles'', ''Prophets'', ''Patriarchs'' and ''Sibyls'', in the pendentives, ''Heroines of the Bible'' and a ''Coronation of the Virgin'' in the apse. The altarpieces of the sanctuary were painted by
Pollastrini and
Overbeck.
In 1870, he worked with
Domenico Bruschi in frescos for the
Palazzo della Consulta
The Palazzo della Consulta (built 1732–1737) is a late Baroque palace in central Rome, Italy; since 1955, it houses the Constitutional Court of Italy, Constitutional Court of the Italian Republic. It sits across the Piazza del Quirinale from the ...
in Rome. He completed the figures of ''Geometry and Dialectic'' for the monument of the Roman
Cemetery of Verano. He completed an altarpiece of the ''Presentation of Jesus at the Temple'' for a cycle of paintings about the mysteries of the Rosary for the Cathedral in
Santiago, Chile
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
. He frescoed the walls and painted the altarpiece (1870) for the Chapel of St Matthew in the church of
Santo Stefano del Cacco
Santo Stefano de Pinea or more commonly Santo Stefano del Cacco is a church in Rome dedicated to Saint Stephen, located at Via di Santo Stefano del Cacco 26.
Name
The name "del Cacco" may refer to the Religion in Ancient Rome, Roman deity Cacus, ...
. He also frescoed (1870–74) the cupola, lunettes of the counterfacade, and the chapel of the Crucifix of the church of
Santa Maria di Loreto alla Colonna Traiana.
He decorated in the oratory of the Merchants at the Convent of the Gesù, and painted a ''St Bridget'' between the windows of the nave of
Santa Maria in Trastevere
The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere () or Our Lady in Trastevere is a titulus (Roman Catholic), titular minor basilica in the Trastevere district of Rome, and one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and wall structure of the ...
(1872). He painted frescoes for the Chapel of the Madonna in
San Salvatore in Onda (1875–76), and the ceiling of
Sant' Omobono (1877), the nave and chancel in
San Giuseppe dei Falegnami near the Mamertine Jail, restored by A. Parisi (1880–83), and finally he painted two panels in
San Rocco Ripetta (1885).
In 1887 he painted a ''Japanese Martyrs crucified in 1597 in Nagasaki'' for the church of San Antonio di Padua on
Via Merulana. He also painted two versions of this painting for the School of Giovanni Battista de la Salle (1887–88) and contributed to the cycles of frescoes for the Cathedral of St. Emidio at
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno (; ; ) is a (municipality) and capital of the province of Ascoli Piceno, in the Italy, Italian region of Marche.
Geography
The town lies at the confluence of the Tronto, River Tronto and the small Castellano (river), River Castell ...
(1884–91) and for the shrine of Santa Maria delle Grazie in
Teramo
Teramo (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Italia) and the Adriatic coast. Th ...
. In Teramo, he also painted a triptych depicting the ''Virgin Enthroned with Saints Francis and Anne'' for the Savini chapel, and decorated the palace city of the same family.
In 1878, he won a contest to paint the main Hall of the Finance Ministry, where he depicted an allegory of the ''Unity of Italy with Illustrious Men of Past and Present''. He lost a competition to
Maccari to paint the So-called Yellow Hall of the Senate; Maccari went on to paint his masterpiece ''Cicero Denounces Catiline''.
He painted frescoes for a number of Roman palaces including the Marignoli and Bobrinski. Mariani gave drawing lessons to the Prince of Naples Vittorio Emanuele and was commissioned to paint a frieze in the Royal apartments of the
Palazzo Quirinale
The Quirinal Palace ( ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, the main official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporziano, an estate on the outskirts of Rome, some ...
. He also painted a canvas about the ''Kingship being offered to Emanuele Filiberto'', which was sent to the International Exhibition of Rome in 1883. He completed paintings for the chapel of San Giovanni Miani. For
Santa Lucia del Gonfalone
Santa Lucia del Gonfalone is a church in the diocese of Rome, Italy. It is located on Via dei Banchi Vecchi just one block south of Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The former site of the Archconfraternity of the Gonfalone, the Claretian Missionaries ...
, he painted frescoes with three scenes: ''The Vision of St Bonaventure'', ''
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V (; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death, in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order, where h ...
blesses the Redeemed Barbary Slaves'', and ''The oath of Giovanni Cerrone''. In 1867, he was commissioned by Signore Baldini Giustiniani to paint frescoes at the Castello at
Rocca di Lanciano, depicting ''Aurora and the Chariot of the Sun''.
He continued the inveterate tradition of Italian religious frescoes with work at the Cathedral of Ascoli Piceno, the church of ''
Madonna delle Grazie
Our Lady of Graces (Italian: ''Madonna delle Grazie'' or ''Nostra Signora delle Grazie'') or Saint Mary of Graces (Italian: ''Santa Maria delle Grazie'') is a devotion to the Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. Several churches with this d ...
'' in the city of
Teramo
Teramo (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Italia) and the Adriatic coast. Th ...
in the region of
Abruzzo
Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...
Description of church of ''Madonna delle Grazie'' in Teramo.
and the churches of Santa Maria del Suffragio and Santo Stefano del Cacco
Santo Stefano de Pinea or more commonly Santo Stefano del Cacco is a church in Rome dedicated to Saint Stephen, located at Via di Santo Stefano del Cacco 26.
Name
The name "del Cacco" may refer to the Religion in Ancient Rome, Roman deity Cacus, ...
. Cesare's style owes as much to the Italian heritage as to modern Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossett ...
styles; in effect, his work at Sant' Emidio, named for a 4th-century saint, is striking for its faith that art could revitalize a hagiography that was waning in a secularizing Italy.
Awards and teaching roles
In May 1870, he was appointed as Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...
. After just over a year, July 30, 1871, he was appointed Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy ( or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate Italian unification, the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for ...
, and in 1872 the Emperor Pedro II of Brazil awarded him the Cross of the Order of the Rose. In 1870, he became a member of Academies of Fine Arts of many cities in Italy, including Perugia, Florence, Milan, Urbino
Urbino ( , ; Romagnol: ''Urbìn'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, southwest of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially und ...
, Carrara
Carrara ( ; ; , ) is a town and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey Carrara marble, marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some Boxing the compass, ...
, Orvieto
Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...
, and Ravenna
Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...
. He was also named to the council than of Fine Arts of the Ministry of Public Education. In 1872, the city council of Rome sent Mariani to National Art Exhibition in Milan, and in 1873, he was on the jury of the World Exhibition in Vienna with Filippo Palizzi.
From 1888 to 1890 he was president of the Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca () 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 first ''principe'' or director; ...
. The last official task of the artist was to participate in 1896 in the juried competition, "Per una memoria sulla tecnica dei dipinti", launched by the Ministry of Education public, replacing Francesco Jacovacci. He was reduced to inactivity in 1898, the same year of the death of his wife, and died in Rome on February 21, 1901.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mariani, Cesare
1826 births
1901 deaths
19th-century Italian painters
Italian male painters
19th-century Italian architects
20th-century Italian painters
Fresco painters
Architects from Rome
19th-century Italian male artists
20th-century Italian male artists