Luigi Mussini (19 December 1813 – 18 June 1888) was an Italian painter, linked especially to the

Purismo ''Purismo'' was an Italian cultural movement which began in the 1820s. The group intended to restore and preserve language through the study of medieval authors, and such study extended to the visual arts. Inspired by the Nazarenes from Germany, ...

movement and to the Nazarenes.

Life

Mussini was born in Berlin, son of the composer Natale Mussini, ''

Kapellmeister (, also , ) from German ''Kapelle'' (chapel) and ''Meister'' (master)'','' literally "master of the chapel choir" designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term ha ...

'' at the

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

court, and his wife Giuliana, musician and singer, daughter of the composer

Giuseppe Sarti Giuseppe Sarti (also Sardi; baptised 1 December 1729 – 28 July 1802) was an Italian opera composer. Biography He was born at Faenza. His date of birth is not known, but he was baptised on 1 December 1729. Some earlier sources say he was born o ...

. He studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

under

Pietro Benvenuti Pietro Benvenuti (8 January 1769 – 3 February 1844) was an Italian neoclassical painter. Biography Born in Arezzo in Tuscany, he was influenced by the style of Jacques-Louis David. He was a student of the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, then ...

and

Giuseppe Bezzuoli Giuseppe Bezzuoli (28 November 1784 – 13 September 1855) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassicism, Neoclassic period, active in Milan, Rome, and his native city of Florence. Biography He studied as a young man under Jean-Baptiste Desmarais a ...

. He began working with his older brother, Cesare Mussini, who had also trained at the Academy. In 1840 he obtained a study grant which enabled him to spend four years in Rome studying painting. He was inspired by the masters of the

Quattrocento The cultural and artistic events of Italy during the period 1400 to 1499 are collectively referred to as the Quattrocento (, , ) from the Italian word for the number 400, in turn from , which is Italian for the year 1400. The Quattrocento encom ...

and in 1844 he opened a school in Florence, where among his students were

Silvestro Lega Silvestro Lega (8 December 1826 – 21 September 1895) was an Italian Realism (art), realist painter. He was one of the leading artists of the Macchiaioli and was also involved with the Mazzini movement. Biography He was born in Modigliana, nea ...

and

Michele Gordigiani Michele Gordigiani (Florence, May 29, 1835 – Florence, October 7, 1909) was an Italian painter, known best for his portraits. Biography Gordigiani was the son of a famous Florentine musician. He first studied at the Academy in Florence un ...

. In 1848 he joined as a patriotic volunteer in the

First Italian War of Independence The First Italian War of Independence ( it, Prima guerra d'indipendenza italiana), part of the Italian Unification (''Risorgimento''), was fought by the Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont) and Italian volunteers against the Austrian Empire and other ...

. Disillusioned by the unhappy outcome, he withdrew to Paris, where he frequented the studios 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 ...

Jean-Hippolyte Flandrin Jean-Hippolyte Flandrin (23 March 1809 – 21 March 1864) was a French Neoclassical painter. His most celebrated work, '' Jeune Homme Nu Assis au Bord de la Mer'' ("Young Male Nude Seated beside the Sea"), from 1836, is held in the Louvre. Bio ...

, William Haussoullier and other artists. In 1852 he move to

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

to teach at that city's Academy of Fine Arts, where his pupils included

Angelo Visconti Angelo Viscónti (1829–1861) was an Italian painter, mainly depicting turbulent scenes including historic and sacred subjects. He was born in Siena and trained under Luigi Mussini. In 1854-1855, he won a traveling stipend along with Amos Cassiol ...

Amos Cassioli Amos Cassiòli (10 August 1832 – 17 December 1891) was an Italian painter, of battle scenes, historical canvases and portraits. He worked in a Purismo style. Biography Cassioli was born in Asciano. After studying at the Sienese Academy of Fin ...

Cesare Maccari Cesare Maccari (; 9 May 1840 – 7 August 1919) was an Italian painter and sculptor, most famous for his 1888 painting ''Cicerone denuncia Catilina'' (usually translated as ''Cicero Accuses Catiline'' or ''Cicero Denounces Catiline''). Early l ...

Pietro Aldi Pietro Aldi (1852–1888) was an academic Italian painter known for his subjects on romantic themes. Biography Pietro Aldi was born in Manciano. He studied at the Academy of Siena with Luigi Mussini. In 1874, he is awarded a stipend at the B ...

Alessandro Franchi Alessandro Franchi may refer to: * Alessandro Franchi (cardinal) (1819–1878), Italian cardinal and archbishop * Alessandro Franchi (painter) Alessandro Franchi (15 March 1838, in Prato – 29 April 1914, in Siena) was an Italian painter. He ...

and Ricciardo Meacci. Mussini's wife Luigia Mussini Piaggio, also a painter, died in labor in 1865 giving birth to their daughter Luisa Mussini who became the wife (and assistant) in 1893 of her father's former pupil Alessandro Franchi. Among his works are:GE Saltini page 59=60. *''Musca Sacra'' (1841) *''L Elemosina secondo il Vangelo'' *''I profanotori del Tempio'' *''Il trionfo della Verita'' *''I Parentali de Platone'' *''L'Eudoro and Cimodocea compare paganism to christianity'' *''Decamerone Senese''

Sources

Luigi Mussini

L'Enciclopedia Italiana: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, Volume 77 (2012) - Luigi Mussini
1813 births 1888 deaths 19th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Painters from Florence Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze alumni 19th-century Italian male artists Nazarene painters {{Italy-painter-19thC-stub