Luca Giordano

Luca Giordano was a Neapolitan painter with various nicknames and as many talents. That's how he was called during his lifetime Luca Fa Presto, which could be translated quickly as Luca mach. Some believe that it was an allusion to his speed of painting. For Giordano is said to have needed less than two days for a large altarpiece. Another theory says that Giordano's father, who was also a painter, had his son make copies of other artists' works at a young age. In order to spur the son on, he is said to have repeatedly called Luca Mach schneller to him. Another nickname of Giordano was Proteus. He was given this name because of his ability to imitate the style of almost every artist to perfection. Accordingly, his range of subjects was enormously varied. However, the majority of his work consisted of frescoes and oil paintings dealing with religious or mythological motifs.

Around 1650 Giordano apprenticed with Jusepe de Ribera, whose style is evident in his early works. After Ribera's death Giordano sought new inspiration, so he went to Rome and Venice. His later works show both Venetian influences, as known from Paolo Veronese, and influences from Pietro da Cortonas Roman style. In the following years Giordano travelled repeatedly between his hometown Naples, Venice and also accepted some commissions in Florence and other northern Italian regions. Around 1692 Giordano went to Spain at the invitation of King Charles II, who later awarded him the title of Caballero. During this time he painted, in addition to various frescoes, many paintings that can still be seen today in Spanish museums such as the Museo del Prado. Among them is the painting "Rubens paints an allegory of peace". After the death of the king in 1702, Giordano returned to Naples and spent the last years of his life there.

During these last years in Naples Giordano's style changed significantly. His paintings became lighter, which art critics understood as an anticipation of the rococo style that followed the late baroque. These works influenced artists like Jean Honore Fragonard well into the 18th century. Among his students were Paolo di Matteis, Nicola Malinconico and Matteo Pacelli. Because Giordano travelled a lot during his career and his work was so versatile, he influenced not only his own students but also artists like Giovan Battista Langetti, Fillipo Gherardi, Pedro de Calabria, Juan Antonio Boujas and many more. Giordano was married and had at least 10 children. His popularity and his eagerness to work had provided him with sufficient financial means to give his children a good education and his daughters a handsome dowry.