Ludovico (or Louis) Brea (c. 1450 – c. 1523) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance, active mainly in and near Genoa. Brea was born into a family of coopers in Nice, and later moving to Liguria, he painted numerous

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

s that displayed both

Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...

and Flemish influences. One of his pupils was

Teramo Piaggio Teramo Piaggio (died before 1562) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance, active in Genoa. He was born in Zoagli. He was a pupil of Ludovico Brea, and painted in collaboration with Andrea Semini Andrea Semini (or Semino) (1525-1594) wa ...

. His earliest definite work is the ''Mercy between Saint Martino and Catherine of Alexandria'', painted for the monastery of

Cimiez Cimiez (; Italian: ''Cimella'') is an upper class neighborhood in Nice, Southern France. The area contains the Musée Matisse and the ruins of ''Cemenelum'', capital of the Ancient Roman province Alpes Maritimae on the Ligurian coast. ''Cemenel ...

, near Nice, in 1475; recent historical searches have also suggested his having painted the ''Madonna of the Confraternity of the Misericordia'' at Nice in 1465. Other notable works by Brea can be found along all the coast from Monaco to Mentone, from

Taggia Taggia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about southwest of Genoa and about west of Imperia. It has around 13,000 inhabitants. Taggia borders the following municipalities: Badaluc ...

Imperia Imperia (; lij, Inpêia or ) is a coastal city and ''comune'' in the Regions of Italy, region of Liguria, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Imperia, and historically it was capital of the ''Intemelia'' district of Liguria. Benito Muss ...

(where the influence of the Lombardy painter

Vincenzo Foppa Vincenzo Foppa ( – ) was an Italian painter from the Renaissance period. While few of his works survive, he was an esteemed and influential painter during his time and is considered the preeminent leader of the Early Lombard School. He spent hi ...

can be seen, and during which time he was in the service of Pope Julius II), and from

Savona Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea. Savona used to be one of the chie ...

to Genoa, where he was active from 1483, leaving his work to the Church of the Consolation. In Liguria, Ludovico's siblings Peter and Antonio Brea also operated as painters, as did Antonio's son, Francisco Brea (of whom details are only known for the period from 1512 to 1555).

Notable works and their locations

* ''Piety'' (1475), Monastère de

* ''Crucifixion'' (1481), Gallery of the White Palace, Genoa * ''Ascension'' (1483), Galleria Durazzo Giustiniani * ''Madonna of Misericordia'' (Madonna of Mercy) (1483–84) * '' Polyptych of San Caterina'' (1488) and ''Baptism of Christ'' (1495), both at the Dominican church and convent,

* ''Piety'',

Monaco Cathedral The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (in French language: ''Cathédrale de Notre-Dame-Immaculée''), but sometimes called Saint Nicholas Cathedral (name of the old church which was demolished in 1874), or Monaco Cathedral (Fre ...

* '' Maestà'', church of Arcs-Van * ''Altarpiece of

Cathedral'' (1490), in collaboration with

* ''Altarpiece of Ognissanti'' (1512), San Maria di Castello, Genoa * ''Polyptych of San Giorgio'' (1516), church of Montalto

References

* 1450s births 1523 deaths 15th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 16th-century Italian painters People from Nice Italian Renaissance painters Painters from Genoa {{Italy-painter-15thC-stub