Matteo Rosselli (10 August 1578 – 18 January 1650) was an Italian painter of the late
Florentine Counter-Mannerism and early
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 ...
. He is best known however for his highly populated grand-manner historical paintings.
Biography
He first apprenticed with
Gregorio Pagani. On 26 February 1599, he was inducted to the
Accademia del Disegno, and in 1605 traveled to Rome to work with
Domenico Passignano for six months.
He completed some frescoes on ''The Legend of the Origin of the Servite Order'' (1614–1618) in the
Palazzo Pitti and in the Cloister of the
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata; a ''Madonna and child with St Francis'' altarpiece for the Church of
Santa Maria Maggiore
Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four Basilicas in the Catholic Church#Major and papal basilicas, major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim C ...
in Florence; and an ''Adoration of the Magi'' (1607) for the Church of Sant'Andrea in
Montevarchi. He painted a ''Crucifixion'' (1613) now in the parish church at
Scarperia. He painted a ''Last Supper'' (1614) now in Conservatorio di San Pier Martire.
Upon the French monarch's death, he was commissioned two commemorative paintings of events in the life of
Henry IV: his visit to ''Nantes'' and ''Gaudabec'' (1610). He also completed an ''Assumption'' (1613) for the church of San Domenico in
Pistoia. He painted a number of frescoes for the
Casa Buonarroti based on events of
Michelangelo's life, including ''Fortifications of
San Miniato'' (1615) and two others (1627 and 1628), all commissioned by his nephew, Michelangelo Buonarroti the younger.
In 1621, he was commissioned to paint a ''Triumph of David'' for the Pitti Palace, and a ''Lot and his Daughters and Tobias and Angel'' for the
Galleria Corsini in Florence. Further decorations (1622–1623) were commissioned by Leopoldo de' Medici for the
Casino di San Marco: ''Frederick II rebuilds the Port of Livorno'' and the ''Capture of Ippona'' (Florence, Corte d'Assise). Leopoldo also commissioned from Rosselli a series of allegorical paintings (1622) for the ''Sala della Stufa'' in Palazzo Pitti.
He frescoed in reception rooms of the
Villa di Poggio Imperiale with scenes portraying European emperors amid biblical and historical scenes (1619–1623). He painted a ''Madonna of the Rosary'' (1649) for the Cathedral of
Pietrasanta
Pietrasanta is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca. Pietrasanta is part of Versilia, on the last foothills of the Apuan Alps, about north of Pisa. The town is located off the coast, where the ...
and a canvas of the ''Mission of St Paul in Damascus'' (frame by
Nero di Porta Venere, for the
Duomo of Volterra. The largest collection of Rosselli drawings is contained within the
Louvre Museum
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
, Paris, with many being preliminary sketches for other works.
Among his many pupils were
Baldassare Franceschini
Baldassare Franceschini, called Il Volterrano after his birth place Volterra and, to distinguish him from Daniele da Volterra, Ricciarelli, Il Volterrano Giuniore (16116 January 1689) was an Italian late Baroque painter and draughtsman active p ...
(il Volterrano),
Lorenzo Lippi,
Francesco Furini,
Giovanni da San Giovanni (Giovanni Mannozzi), and
Jacopo Vignali.
[Wittkower R. p344]
Rosselli Triunfo David.jpeg, Triumph of David
Matteo rosselli, san lorenzo che distribuisce i beni della chiesa ai poveri e risana un cieco.jpg, St Lawrence gives away all and cures the blind
Matteo rosselli, visitazione.jpg, Visitation
Matteo rosselli, natività di Cristo.jpg, Birth of Christ
File:San marco, firenze, altare alfani poi martini dell'ala, san domenico in soriano, matteo rosselli 1640.JPG, '' San Domenico in Soriano'', Church of San Marco, Florence
Notes
References
*
External links
Artnet biography from Grove Encyclopedia of Art Louvre Museum, Collection of works by Matteo Rosselli
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roselli, Matteo
1578 births
1650 deaths
16th-century Italian painters
Italian male painters
17th-century Italian painters
Painters from Florence
Italian Mannerist painters
Italian Baroque painters