Marcello Leopardi (1750–1795) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

painter, depicting both sacred subjects and history in a late-Baroque and early Neoclassic style. He was born presumably in

Potenza Picena Potenza Picena is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region of Marche, about southeast of Ancona and about northeast of Macerata. ''Potentia'' was the Roman town situated in the lower Potenza valley, in the ...

. By 1768, he was participating in contests sponsored by the Accademia del nudo in Campidoglio, Rome. In 1771, he won a third prize in a painting contest held by the

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") 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 fir ...

. He is cited as a pupil of either

Stefano Pozzi Stefano Pozzi (9 November 1699 — 11 June 1768) was an Italian painter, designer, draughtsman and decorator whose career was spent largely in Rome. Born in Rome, he was one of four artist sons of his father, an innkeeper: Rocco (1701–74) ...

Tommaso Conca Tommaso Maria Conca (1734–1822), was an Italian painter and draftsman, active mostly in Rome. Biography Tommaso Conca was born in Gaeta, one of the youngest of some eleven siblings, to Giovanni Conca and Anna Laura Scarsella di Castro. His ...

. In 1782, he moved to

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...

, where he completed a number of paintings for the oratory of the Confraternita della Giustizia. He was one of the artists employed in decorating the

Perugia Cathedral Perugia Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Lorenzo; Duomo di Perugia) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Perugia, Umbria, central Italy, dedicated to Saint Lawrence. Formerly the seat of the bishops and archbishops of Perugia, it has b ...

(1782–1785). He helped decorate the palazzi Conestabile della Staffa and Ranieri with frescoes depicting mythologic and classic history themes. He moved to

Foligno Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located so ...

, where he decorated other palaces. He was commissioned by

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

to complete an altarpiece of the ''Guardian Angels'' for the church of Sant'Andrea a Subiaco in Rome. He continued to work in Rome, often producing works for churches in other towns, including Viterbo. He painted three altarpieces for the church of San Michele Arcangelo ai Minoriti in Catania. In 1794, he was elected academic of merit of the Accademia di San Luca of Rome, submitting an entry canvas depicting ''Amore e Psiche''. The work was derided as scandalous by

. In 1794 he also joined the

Congregazione dei Virtuosi al Pantheon The Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts and Letters of the Virtuosi al Pantheon is one of the Pontifical Academies under the direction of the Holy See. The complete Italian name of the academy, Pontificia Insigne Accademia di Belle Arti e Letteratura ...

. Vincenzo Ferreri of Perugia was a pupil.Encyclopedia Treccani
Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 64 (2005), entry by Susanne Adina Meyer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leopardi Marcello 1750 births 1795 deaths 18th-century Italian people Rococo painters Italian neoclassical painters 18th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 18th-century Italian male artists