Matteo Rosselli (10 August 1578 – 18 January 1650) was an Italian painter of the late
Florentine Counter-
Mannerism and early
Baroque. 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
The Accademia delle Arti del Disegno ("Academy of the Arts of Drawing") is an academy of artists in Florence, Italy. Founded as Accademia e Compagnia delle Arti del Disegno ("Academy and Company of the Arts of Drawing") on 13 January 1563 by ...
, and in 1605 traveled to Rome to work with
Domenico Passignano
Domenico Passignano (1559 – 17 May 1638), born Domenico Cresti or Crespi, was an Italian painter of a late- Renaissance or Counter-''Maniera'' (Counter-Mannerism) style that emerged in Florence towards the end of the 16th century.
Biography ...
for six months.
He completed some frescoes on ''The Legend of the Origin of the Servite Order'' (1614–1618) in the
Palazzo Pitti
The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...
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 in Florence; and an ''Adoration of the Magi'' (1607) for the Church of Sant'Andrea in
Montevarchi
Montevarchi is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy.
History
The town of Montevarchi sprang up around 1100, near to a fortified Benedictine monastery, founded by bishop Elempert (986–1010) of Arezzo. At first the cas ...
. He painted a ''Crucifixion'' (1613) now in the parish church at
Scarperia
Scarperia is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Scarperia e San Piero, located in the Metropolitan City of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy, about north of Florence. It was an independent comune until 1 January 2014.
Main sights
* Ch ...
. 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
Casa Buonarroti is a museum in Florence, Italy. The building was a property owned by the sculptor Michelangelo, which he left to his nephew, Leonardo Buonarroti. The house was converted into a museum dedicated to the artist by his great nephew, Mi ...
based on events of
Michelangelo's life, including ''Fortifications of
San Miniato
San Miniato is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pisa, in the region of Tuscany, Italy.
San Miniato sits at an historically strategic location atop three small hills where it dominates the lower Arno valley, between the valleys of Egol ...
'' (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
The Palazzo Corsini is a prominent late-baroque palace in Rome, erected for the Corsini family between 1730 and 1740 as an elaboration of the prior building on the site, a 15th-century villa of the Riario family, based on designs of Ferdinando Fuga ...
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
Villa del Poggio Imperiale (English: Villa of the Imperial Hill) is a predominantly neoclassical former grand ducal villa in Arcetri, just to the south of Florence in Tuscany, Central Italy. Beginning as a villa of the Baroncelli of Florence, ...
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 the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
, Paris, with many being preliminary sketches for other works.
Among his many pupils were
Baldassare Franceschini (il Volterrano),
Lorenzo Lippi
Lorenzo Lippi (3 May 1606 – 15 April 1665) was an Italian painter and poet.
Biography
Born in Florence, he studied painting under Matteo Rosselli. Both Baldassare Franceschini and Francesco Furini were also apprenticed with Rosselli, the ...
,
Francesco Furini,
Giovanni da San Giovanni
Giovanni da San Giovanni (20 March 1592 – 9 December 1636), also known as Giovanni Mannozzi, was an Italian painter of the early Baroque period, active in Florence.
Biography
Born in San Giovanni Valdarno, he trained under Matteo Rosselli. ...
(Giovanni Mannozzi), and
Jacopo Vignali
Jacopo Vignali (September 5, 1592 – August 3, 1664) was an Italian people, Italian painter of the early Baroque period.
Biography
Vignali was born in Pratovecchio, near Arezzo, and initially trained under Matteo Rosselli. He painted the ceiling ...
.
[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
Mannerist painters
Italian Baroque painters