Corrado Giaquinto

Key facts

Lived

1703–1766, Italian

Movements

• Baroque
• Rococo

Works held in

19 museums^[1]

• The Penitent Magdalen

  Metropolitan Museum of Art

  New York City, United States

  2 works

  Museum detailsMap

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• What is Corrado Giaquinto known for?+

  Corrado Giaquinto is known as a leading Roman painter of the Rococo period. He was favoured by the Spanish Bourbons and gained a reputation within international court circles during the 1730s.
• What is Corrado Giaquinto's most famous work?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was an Italian Rococo painter. He is best known for his decorative work in Roman and Spanish churches and palaces. Giaquinto's most famous work is difficult to identify definitively, as his output was large and varied. However, several major projects are particularly noteworthy. These include the frescoes in the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Rome, executed around 1730. He also completed significant commissions for the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome, during the 1740s. Beyond Rome, Giaquinto worked extensively in Turin. There, he decorated the ceiling of the Royal Church of San Lorenzo. In Spain, he served as court painter to Ferdinand VI from 1753 to 1762. During this period, he created frescoes for the Royal Palace of Madrid, contributing to its opulent decoration. These Spanish works cemented his international reputation. While no single piece overshadows his other creations, his collective contributions to these important buildings define his career.
• What should I know about Corrado Giaquinto's prints?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was an Italian Rococo painter. He is associated with the late-Baroque style. Although primarily a painter, some prints after his work were produced. These reproductive prints make his compositions accessible to a wider audience. Giaquinto trained in Rome with Sebastiano Conca. He later worked in Turin and Madrid. His career involved creating large-scale frescoes and altarpieces. He became known for his decorative skill and colour. Printmakers, such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi, produced engravings of Giaquinto's paintings. These prints often capture the grandeur of his original works. They allow collectors to study the details of his compositions. The prints vary in size and quality, depending on the printmaker and the printing process used. Subjects range from religious scenes to mythological subjects, mirroring the scope of Giaquinto's painted output. When assessing a Giaquinto print, consider the condition of the paper, the clarity of the lines, and the provenance of the piece. These factors affect its value and historical interest.
• What style or movement did Corrado Giaquinto belong to?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was a leading Roman painter of the Rococo style. He trained in Naples before moving to Rome in 1727. By the 1730s, he had an international reputation; he worked for French patrons in Rome and for the Savoy court in Turin. He also completed commissions for Filippo Juvarra, decorating La Granja de San Ildefonso in Spain. Giaquinto's refined style reflected the classicising Rococo tastes of the Roman school. His Baptism of Christ (1750, Santa Maria dell’Orto, Rome) shows this well. In the early 1740s, he joined the Accademia di San Luca and opened his own studio, where Spanish artists trained. In 1753, he became first painter to King Fernando VI, moving to Spain. Soon after arriving at the Bourbon court in Madrid, he became the first director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. He directed a fresco scheme for the Palacio Nuevo. He left court in 1762 due to declining health, and he died in 1766.
• What techniques or materials did Corrado Giaquinto use?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was an Italian Rococo painter. He is known for his decorative frescoes and oil paintings. Giaquinto's fresco technique involved preparatory drawings, the use of cartoons (full-scale designs), and the application of paint to wet plaster. This required speed and precision. His frescoes often display a light colour palette and fluid brushwork, contributing to a sense of movement. For his oil paintings, Giaquinto employed traditional methods. He built up layers of paint to achieve luminosity and depth. Giaquinto's colour choices are characterised by pastel shades, such as light blues, pinks, and yellows. These hues create a cheerful atmosphere. Giaquinto also used glazes to modify colours and add subtle tonal variations. His brushwork varies from smooth, blended passages to more visible, textured strokes, adding visual interest.
• What was Corrado Giaquinto known for?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was a leading Roman painter of the Rococo style. He initially trained in Naples before relocating to Rome in 1727. By the 1730s, Giaquinto had established an international reputation. He worked for French patrons in Rome and the Savoy court in Turin. He also completed commissions for Filippo Juvarra, decorating La Granja de San Ildefonso in Spain. Giaquinto developed a refined style, reflective of the Roman school's classicising Rococo tastes. An example is his Baptism of Christ (1750, Santa Maria dell’Orto, Rome). In the early 1740s, he joined the Accademia di San Luca and opened a studio, where Spanish artists trained. In 1753, Giaquinto became first painter to King Fernando VI, moving to Spain. Soon after, he became the first director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. In these positions, Giaquinto influenced the development of a Bourbon "court style". His Rococo tendencies are seen in his fresco scheme for the Palacio Nuevo. He left court in 1762 for health reasons, travelling to Ischia, but continued working for the Bourbons in Naples until his death.
• When did Corrado Giaquinto live and work?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was a Roman Rococo painter. He trained in Naples before moving to Rome in 1727. By the 1730s, he had an international reputation and worked for French patrons in Rome. He travelled to Turin for commissions from the Savoy court. He also worked for Filippo Juvarra on decorations at La Granja de San Ildefonso in Spain. His Baptism of Christ (1750, Santa Maria dell’Orto, Rome) shows his refined Rococo style. In the early 1740s, Giaquinto joined the Accademia di San Luca and opened a studio, where Spanish artists trained. In 1753, he became first painter to King Fernando VI and moved to Spain. Soon after arriving in Madrid, he became the first director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. These positions allowed him to develop a Bourbon court style. His fresco scheme for the Palacio Nuevo shows his Rococo style. In 1762, he left court to seek treatment in Ischia, near Naples. His health declined, preventing his return to Spain. He continued to work for the Bourbons in Naples, keeping his title and salary until his death in 1766.
• Where can I see Corrado Giaquinto's work?+

  Corrado Giaquinto's paintings are held by a number of museums. In London, the National Gallery holds several works. Other galleries in the UK that hold his work include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the Manchester Art Gallery, and the National Museums of Scotland, Royal Museum in Edinburgh. Outside the UK, museums with works by Giaquinto include the Metropolitan Museum of Art^[2] in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University in Miami Beach. These collections may rotate their displays; contact them for information about specific works.
• Where was Corrado Giaquinto from?+

  Corrado Giaquinto was born in Molfetta, in the region of Apulia. Apulia is a region of southeast Italy that forms the 'heel' of the Italian 'boot'. Giaquinto's birthdate was 8 February 1703. He died on 18 April 1766 in Naples. Although he was born in Molfetta, Giaquinto spent much of his career working in Rome. He also accepted commissions in Turin and Madrid. Giaquinto trained with Nicola Maria Rossi. Rossi was himself a student of the Baroque painter Luca Giordano. Giaquinto is associated with the late-Baroque and Rococo styles. He is known for both oil paintings and frescos, including altarpieces and mythological subjects. He became Principe of the Accademia di San Luca in 1754.
• Who did Corrado Giaquinto influence?+

  Corrado Giaquinto's artistic influence extended to several painters, particularly those associated with the Royal court in Madrid and the Academy of San Fernando. Among his students and followers were Anton Raphael Mengs and Francisco Bayeu. Mengs's classicising style, which became popular across Europe, owes a debt to Giaquinto's graceful compositions. Bayeu, who later became a court painter, adopted Giaquinto's decorative style in his own work for churches and palaces. Other artists who absorbed elements of Giaquinto's manner include Mariano Salvador Maella and José del Castillo. Maella's paintings display a similar lightness of touch and elegant figure style. Castillo's work, especially his decorative paintings, reflects Giaquinto's influence through its colour and compositional arrangements. Giaquinto's impact is most evident in the work of artists directly connected to him through instruction or collaboration. His Roman training and international career meant that his synthesis of Baroque and Rococo styles spread widely.
• Who influenced Corrado Giaquinto?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was an Italian Rococo painter. He was born in Molfetta, in the Apulia region of Italy. Giaquinto's early training occurred in the studio of Saverio Porta, also from Molfetta. In 1719, Giaquinto moved to Naples. There, he studied with Nicola Maria Rossi. Rossi's influence is apparent in Giaquinto's early work, particularly in his use of colour and light. He was also exposed to the work of Francesco Solimena, a dominant figure in Neapolitan painting at the time. Solimena's grand, theatrical style left a mark on Giaquinto's artistic development. Giaquinto's time in Rome further shaped his style. He encountered the work of artists such as Pietro da Cortona and Giovanni Lanfranco; their Baroque compositions and illusionistic techniques influenced his own approach to large-scale decorative painting. Though he absorbed various influences, Giaquinto synthesised these elements into a personal Rococo style, characterised by its elegance and grace.
• Who was Corrado Giaquinto?+

  Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766) was a leading Roman painter of the Rococo style. He was favoured by the Spanish Bourbons. Giaquinto trained in Naples before relocating to Rome in 1727. By the 1730s, he had established a reputation in international court circles. He worked for French patrons in Rome, and he travelled to Turin for commissions for the Savoy court. He also completed work at the request of Filippo Juvarra for decorations at La Granja de San Ildefonso in Spain. Giaquinto developed a refined style, reflecting the classicising Rococo tastes of the Roman school. An example is his Baptism of Christ (1750, Santa Maria dell’Orto, Rome). In the early 1740s, he was admitted to the Accademia di San Luca and opened his own studio; young Spanish artists were sent there for training. In 1753, he became first painter to King Fernando VI and moved to Spain. Soon after arriving at the Bourbon court in Madrid, he became the first director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. He directed a fresco interior scheme for the Palacio Nuevo. In 1762, he travelled to Ischia, near Naples, for his health. He continued to work for the Bourbons in Naples, retaining his title until his death in 1766.