Giuseppe Bonito (11 January 1707 – 9 May 1789) was a

Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and High ...

painter of the

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

period. Giuseppe Bonito is known for

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

depictions on canvas. Many of

Gaspare Traversi Gaspare Traversi (February 1722 – 1 November 1770) was an Italian Rococo painter best known for his genre works. Active mostly in his native city of Naples, he also painted throughout Italy, including a stay in Parma. Biography Early ...

's paintings had previously been attributed to Bonito.

Biography

Bonito was born at

Castellammare di Stabia Castellammare di Stabia (; ) is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania region, in southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento. History Castellammare di Stabia ...

, and, like Traversi, was a student at the large studio of

Francesco Solimena Francesco Solimena (4 October 1657 – 3 April 1747) was a prolific Italian Baroque painter, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen. Biography Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino in the province of Avellino. H ...

. One of his contemporaries there was

. Bonito represented urban scenes with folklore details and figures of

commedia dell'arte Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...

. Between the 1736 and 1742 Bonito worked for the House of Borbon in the royal

Palace of Portici The Royal Palace of Portici (''Reggia di Portici'' or ''Palazzo Reale di Portici''; ) is a former royal palace in Portici, Southeast of Naples along the coast, in the region of Campania, Italy. It now contains a museum complex (''Musei della Reg ...

. He also painted portraits including one of

Maria Amalia of Saxony Maria Amalia (Maria Amalia Christina Franziska Xaveria Flora Walburga; 24 November 1724 – 27 September 1760) was Queen of Spain from 10 August 1759 until her death in 1760 as the wife of King Charles III. Previously, she had been Queen of Nap ...

, wife of the Charles VII, king of Naples and Charles III of Spain. An altarpiece of the ''Immaculate Conception'' was painted in 1789 for the chapel of

Royal Palace of Caserta The Royal Palace of Caserta ( ; ) is a former royal residence in Caserta, Campania, north of Naples in southern Italy, constructed by the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as their main residence as Kingdom of Naples, kings of Naples. The complex ...

. One of his pupils was

Angelo Mozzillo Angelo Mozzillo (24 October 1736 in Afragola – May 1810, in Nola) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque, active near Naples, Italy. He initially trained with a Giuseppe Bonito (Peppariello). After 1758, he left Afragola and moved to ...

. 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 ...

Gallery

Giuseppe Bonito (attr) Gruppenportrait von drei adeligen Kindern.jpg, Family Portrait Giuseppe Bonito 001.jpg, Masquerade Carnival with

Pulcinella Pulcinella (; ) is a classical character that originated in commedia dell'arte of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry. Pulcinella's versatility in status and attitude has captivated audiences worldwide and kept ...

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

Giuseppe Bonito Concertino.jpg, Concertino Carlos de Borbón, rey de las Dos Sicilias.jpg, Charles VII

References

Museum Network; legend for Bowes Museum piece.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonito, Giuseppe 1707 births 1789 deaths People from Castellammare di Stabia Painters from Campania 18th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Painters from Naples Italian Baroque painters Rococo painters 18th-century Italian male artists Artists from the Kingdom of Naples