GIOVANNI LANFRANCO

Giovanni Lanfranco (Parma 1582 - Rome 1647), is one of the dominant figures of the Baroque period. He trained in Parma at the school of the Carracci (Agostino and Annibale brothers, Ludovico their cousin), who were the link between classicism and baroque.

When Agostino Carracci died, Lanfranco twenty years old arrived in Rome, in the wake of Annibale. When in 1610 also Annibale Carracci died, Giovanni came back to Parma, but two years later he returned in Rome becoming the favorite painter by Pope Paul V Borghese.

Then began the season of his masterpieces: at St. Augustine the Chapel of Saints Augustine and William and later the chapel of St. Augustine, in which he painted the side canvas, while the altarpiece is by Guercino; at San Giovanni dei Fiorentini we can see the unforgettable Sacchetti chapel, and in Santa Maria della Concezione the impressive Nativity.

Sacchetti chapel - click to enlarge

In Santa Lucia in Selci gave birth to the “Martyrdom of Saint Lucia”, that ennobles this church, known as little as worthy to be visited.

At Sant’Andrea della Valle he frescoed the dome, which occupied him for over 2 years from 1625 to 1627, the work was so admired that the new Pope, Urban VIII Barberini, commissioned him to paint the great fresco at St. Peter in Vatican “St. Peter walking on the water”. Another great success and with it the papal appointment as “Knight of the Order of Christ”.

Called by the Jesuits in Naples, he returned to Rome in 1646 in time to paint for St. Charles in Catinari the Annunciation and the apse.

A year later he died.

In our Pinacoteca Capitolina there is one of his masterpieces “Erminia among the Shepherds”, while in the National Gallery of Palazzo Barberini we can see “Venus plays the harp”.
This harp is preserved in the Museum of Musical Instruments, the harp, owned by the Barberini family, was played by a great virtuoso Marco  Marazzuoli known as Marco Arpa.

Finally, in the Galleria Corsini one can admire the moving painting of St Peter curing Sant’Agata.

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