Mariangiola Criscuolo (c. 1548–1630) was an Italian painter of the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
period, active mainly in her native city of
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. She is known for
portraiture
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this re ...
and
history painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...
, and excelled in painting
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. She was also involved in the foundation of one of the first female-organized schools of art during the sixteenth century.
Born to painter
Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo
Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo (c. 1500–1584) was an Italian painter, active during the late-Renaissance period, mainly in Naples.
Born in Gaeta, He trained with Andrea da Salerno and with Perino del Vaga in Rome. His brother Giovanni Angelico ...
(died 1624); her uncle,
Giovanni Angelo (Gian Angelo) was also a painter. She married the painter
Giovanni Antonio di Amato the younger.
Early life and education
Mariangela Criscuolo was born c. 1548 in Naples, Italy. She was exposed to art at a young age as members of her family were already established Neapolitan artists.
Her uncle,
Giovanni Angelo Criscuolo (c. 1500- after 1577 Naples), was originally a notary that later became a painter.
Her father,
Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo
Giovanni Filippo Criscuolo (c. 1500–1584) was an Italian painter, active during the late-Renaissance period, mainly in Naples.
Born in Gaeta, He trained with Andrea da Salerno and with Perino del Vaga in Rome. His brother Giovanni Angelico ...
(c. 1529 – 1561), was also an artist in Naples, whose style was similar to followers of
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...
.
The similarities in style in Mariangela’s work with that of her father makes him a probable source of her informal training in becoming a painter.
Those similarities in style are more clearly illustrated in Giovanni Filippo’s Annunciation for
San Paolo Maggiore
San Paolo Maggiore is a basilica church in Naples, southern Italy, and the burial place of Gaetano Thiene, known as Saint Cajetan, founder of the Order of Clerics Regular (or Theatines). It is located on Piazza Gaetano, about 1-2 blocks north of ...
in Naples and Mariangela’s depiction of the same scene for the parocchiale di Bucciano in
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and ''comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...
.
Career
Mariangela worked to become a prominent female portraitist before being married to another artist,
Giovanni Antonio d’Amato (1535–1598).
Later in her career, she turned to history painting, depicting many religious scenes, such as the Death of the Virgin and an altarpiece of the Virgin and Child with Saints.
Another well known work by Mariangela is the Deposition from the Cross found in the church of San Servino in Naples.
While still married to her husband, Mariangela also ran possibly the earliest documented female-organized informal school of art in Naples.
She taught both female and male students. Although few of her male pupils reached great acclaim as it was perceived to be less impressive to learn from a female teacher.
One of her suspected female pupils was Luisa Capomazza, who went on to take vows as a nun and paint for various churches in Naples.
Death
Mariangela’s date of death is unknown, but it is suspected that she died after 1598, when her husband died.
Biography in 'Vite de’ Pittori, Scultori ed Architetti Napoletani'
Much of what is known about Mariangela Criscuolo is based on the biography written by Bernardo de Dominici (1683-1759 Naples) in his book, 'Vite de’ Pittori, Scultori ed Architetti Napoletani' (Lives of the Neapolitan Painters, Sculptors, and Architects), published in three volumes between 1742 and 1745.
In his biography of Mariangela, de Dominici references the unpublished compilation of Neapolitan artist biographies by
Massimo Stanzione
Massimo Stanzione (also called Stanzioni; 1585 – 1656) was an Italian Baroque painter, mainly active in Naples, where he and his rival Jusepe de Ribera dominated the painting scene for several decades. He was primarily a painter of altarpiece ...
.
De Dominici acknowledges Mariangela’s accomplishments as an artist and founder of an art school accepting both men and women.
Adding to this, de Dominici also states that women were sent to her more to learn how to be good wives and Christians rather than good artists.
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Criscuolo, Mariangiola
1548 births
1630 deaths
16th-century Italian painters
17th-century Italian painters
Italian Renaissance painters
Painters from Naples
Italian women painters
17th-century Italian women artists
16th-century Italian women artists