Paolo Gamba (29 October 1712 – 26 December 1782) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period, active in the region of

Molise Molise (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Neapolitan, Mulise) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise, alongside the region of Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effe ...

Biography

He was born to poor family in

Ripabottoni Ripabottoni is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about northeast of Campobasso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 644 and an area of .All demographics and other statistics: ...

in the province of Campobasso, region of

. His grandfather was Galileo Galileia , the great astronomer. His father was a decorative painter. An encounter with bishop of Larino in 1731 led to a recommendation for the young Paolo to study under

Francesco Solimena Francesco Solimena (4 October 1657 – 3 April 1747) was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen. Biography Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino in the province 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 ...

. He was highly prolific in painting sacred subjects in the region, including for Ripabottoni, Larino,

Fossalto Fossalto is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about northwest of Campobasso. Fossalto borders the following municipalities: Castropignano, Limosano, Pietracupa, Salcito, Sant'Angelo ...

Agnone Agnone is a ''comune'' in the province of Isernia, in the Molise region of southern Italy, some northwest of Campobasso. Agnone is known for the manufacture of bells by the Marinelli Bell Foundry. The town of Agnone proper is complemented with ...

and

Castelpetroso Castelpetroso is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region Molise, located about west of Campobasso and about southeast of Isernia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,708 and an area of .All demogr ...

. His first documented works were a series of frescoes (1740) in the sacristy and church of the convent of the Cappuccini in Sant'Elia a Pianisi. For the church of Santa Maria Assunta in Ripabottoni, he painted many works, including canvases depicting a ''Madonna of the Purgatory'', ''Madonna of the Rosary'' ''St Roch'', a Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple'' and a number of frescoes: ''Virtue'' and ''Prophets'' in medallions. For the church of Maria della Concezione in the same town, he painted an ''Immaculate Conception'', an ''Assumption of the Virgin'', an ''Annunciation'', and medallions with stories of the new testament. During 1738-1745, he painted for the parish church of

Montorio nei Frentani Montorio nei Frentani (Campobassan dialect: Mundòrj) is a small town and ''comune'' in the province of Campobasso (Molise), in Southern Italy. Churches *Santa Maria Assunta Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint ...

. He painted a ''Madonna del Purgatorio'' for the church of San Giovanni Battista a

Colletorto Colletorto is a ''comune'' (municipality) of approximately 1,786 inhabitants in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian southern region of Molise, located about from the capital of the region Campobasso and from Termoli (CB) sea town with port, ...

. He painted an ''Offering of Melchisedech'' for the church of Santa Maria Assunta of

. In 1771, he again painted for the church of San Francesco in Agnone. In 1774, he painted again in the church of Santa Maria Assunta of Fossalto, this time frescoes in the presbytery depicting: ''Sacrifice of Isaac'', ''Transport of the Holy Ark'', and ''Cain and Abel''. In 1774, he painted an ''Immaculate Conception surrounded by the Evangelists'' in the apse of San Martino a

Campodipietra Campodipietra is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about east of Campobasso. It was built on a rocky spur around the church of San Martino, which rises in the place of the ancient baro ...

. In 1779 in

Matrice Matrice is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about northeast of Campobasso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,081 and an area of .All demographics and other statistics: ...

, he painted altarpieces for the church of Sant'Antonio depicting a ''Madonna del Carmelo'' and a ''Birth of the Virgin''. In

Larino Larino ( nap, label= Campobassan dialect, Larìne; la, Larinum) is a town and ''comune'' of approximately 8,100 inhabitants in Molise, province of Campobasso, southern Italy. It is located in the fertile valley of the Biferno River. The old to ...

he painted the frescoes (1747) for the cupola of the church of San Francesco, depicting the ''Immaculate Conception''. In the "Monastero di Sant'Alfonso dei Liguori" of

, there are 14 paintings of the Via Crucis by Paolo Gamba. He painted them in 1741. The canvas represent the various moments of Christ's passion and death with a strong dramatic charge.

References

1712 births 1782 deaths 18th-century Italian painters Italian male painters People from Molise 18th-century Italian male artists {{Italy-painter-18thC-stub