Corrado Giaquinto

Corrado Giaquinto

Published by Therese Myles on 19th Oct 2019

Corrado Giaquinto was born in Italy in 1703 and is considered to be one of the foremost painters of the Rococo art movement. He was born in the city of Molfetta to very religious parents. Art was a early passion of Corrado's and he achieved his first apprenticeship very early in life, studying under the artist Saverio Porta. By 1724 Corrado had outgrown his home city of Molfetta and he left, travelling to the Italian city state of Naples.

In Naples Corrado was able to study under the famous artist Francesco Solimena. Solomon's studio was famous in the art world and attracted students and admirers from around Europe, giving Corrado the chance to learn from and work with a number of talented artists and painters. He spent some of this time travelling between the other cities of Rome, Madrid, and Turin.

The following year Corrado Giaquinto settled in Rome, Italy, to study at the famed studio and workshop of artist Sebastiano Conca. Along with his mentor, Corrado worked on a number of high profile art projects, particularly on Rome's many chapels, cathedrals and basilicas, such as San Lorenzo in Damaso, and San Giovanni Calibita, as well as the intricate ceiling art of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.

With years of practice now under his belt, Corrado decided to open his own art studio in Rome, in 1727. Here he continued to refine his craft and met his wife Caterina Silvestri Agate, whom he was to marry in 1734. This period would prove to be the most important of Corrado's art career, and saw him create many of his finest masterpieces, such as Christ crucified with the Madonna, Saint John Evangelist, and Magdalene, in 1730 for the Portuguese King John the Fifth inside the Mafra cathedral. The following year he was commissioned to do frescoes for the church, San Nicola dei Lorenesi, where he painted Paradise, and Saint Nicholas water gush from cliff.

In 1733 Corrado travelled to Turin again, where he was commissioned to paint an altar piece at Saint John Nepomuk. Corrado received numerous commissions during his time in Turin, and it is in this period that he painted his famous masterpieces Death of Adonis and Apollo & Daphne, Story of Aenid, Triumph of the House of Savoy, and Assumption and Rest in Egypt, both of which depicted the life of Saint Joseph.

Corrado went back to Rome in 1738 to accept a commission to decorate the church Rocca di Papa, from a relative of Pope Alexander. In 1740 he became a member of the Academy of Saint Luke. He then travelled to Madrid where he soon came into favour at the court of King Ferdinand the Fourth and was given the title of director of the art Academy of San Fernando.

In 1762 Corrado Giaquinto returned to his home city of Naples to work on the royal monastery of San Luigi di Palazzo. This was to be his last major commission and Corrado died in 1765 in the city of Naples.

View Corrado Giaquinto Gallery