Page 37 - Luca Giordano - Liberation of St Peter
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in the category of pastiche - in the context of being serious, artists such as Rembrandt. Several compositions, such as
creative explorations of the potential offered by a subject the versions of Ecce Homo and The Expulsions of the Merchants
or style.21 from the Temple clearly relied on Rembrandt’s prints of
these same subjects. He also had an obvious interest in
Thus, in the early years particularly, Giordano’s art was the Italian Baroque art of a more advanced style than that
often a meta-language and the artist needed constant of Preti, but it was a mode that did not entirely capture
fodder to keep his imagination active. In this ceaseless his imagination. It should be noted that his interest in the
process of elaboration he was not necessarily the copyist baroque was not necessarily synonymous with Pietro da
or the forger but the master of a new order. Cortona, rather above all it centered around Rubens.The
turbulent, chaotic movement of Giordano’s Pommers-
As a young man Giordano had been interested in the felden allegories of The Catholic Faith suggest a know-
basic principles of art history. It was only in the second ledge of Rubens’ The Triumph of the Eucharist series. His
part of the 1650s and early 1660s that he started produc- two altarpieces depicting The Education of theVirgin and
ing works which fused his Renaissance interests with a S. Michael for the Ascensione a Chiaia which were among
more contemporary idiom. The plague of 1656 had his first works (1656) derive inspiration from Rubens’
brought incredible destruction to Naples and the local prints of altarpieces (Rubenshuis, Antwerp).
school of painting was practically wiped out, which
served as a boost for Giordano to produce a formidable Beside his altarpieces based on Rubens compositions
output over the following years. It also marked a decisive there are paintings of biblical themes from the New
jump in the quality of his production. The high level of Testament (The Massacre of the Innocents), and the Old
his cultural awareness is demonstrated by a voracious Testament (Samson and Delilah) as well as classical subject
appetite for the pirating of prints from all over Europe matter (Roman Charity) that derive from the Flemish
(prints provided at the beginning by his patron and friend master’s work.There was also an obvious interest in the
Gaspar Roomer, but later collected by himself), as well classical tradition as can be seen in the sedate composi-
as paintings of every possible kind which he used as tions of some of Giordano’s Favole. Several mythological
inspiration for his own work. At the time The Liberation compositions, including images of Venus were inspired
of St Peter was executed Giordano was producing an byTitian. Giordano also occasionally painted genre scenes
incredibly diverse range of works which encompassed in the manner of the Dutch masters, such as the Interior
radical swings of style and above all illustrated his intense of an Inn (now in the DeVito Foundation, Florence) which
interest in the contemporary scene. Being rather detached was inspired by a painting by Adriaen van Ostade, also
from the Neapolitan tradition, Giordano focused on known through an engraving.
Rome and Venice. He was always sensitive to the great
northern European artists from the Renaissance and Most of Giordano’s paintings from the years around
baroque periods. He was first influenced by Mattia Preti 1660 are saturated with quotations. But he did not just
and then Rubens and Rembrandt, who became his touch- copy other paintings, he changed them simplifying some
stones to the modern world. some compositions and manipulating others. For his
Giordano’s interest in northern Renaissance artists 21. For definition and historical context of Pastiche, see M. Loh,
primarily found expression in scenes from the life of quoted above.
Christ, but he was also deeply interested by baroque
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