496. Auction Art & Interior: Fine Art
Giovanni Ottaviani was an Italian painter and engraver who worked in Rome in the 18th century.
Ottaviani's most famous work is a series of panel plates from Raphael's loggia at the Vatican, published in the mid-1770s. The plates depict the "grotesque style" decorations made by Raphael and his assistants in the loggia of the Vatican Palace for Pope Leo X (1475-1521) in 1515-1519. More than 200 years later, the engravers Giovanni Ottaviani and Giovanni Volpato (1740-1803) were commissioned by Pope Clement XIII (1693-1769) to print a series of copperplate engravings based on Raphael's Loggia.
Peter Paul Rubens was a distinguished Flemish Baroque painter, renowned for his dynamic, vibrant, and sensuous paintings. Born on June 28, 1577, in Siegen, Westphalia, Germany, Rubens' family moved back to Antwerp in the Spanish Netherlands (now Belgium) after his father's death. He was raised in his mother’s Roman Catholic faith and received a classical education. He began his artistic training in 1591 and later traveled to Italy, where he was profoundly influenced by Renaissance masters like Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese. This experience significantly shaped his artistic style.
Rubens' art is celebrated for its emphasis on movement, color, and sensuality. He was particularly skilled in depicting religious and mythological scenes, portraits, and landscapes. Some of his notable works include "The Descent from the Cross" and "The Raising of the Cross," which are prime examples of Baroque religious art, showcasing his unique style that blended influences from Italian Renaissance and his own innovations.
Rubens was not just a painter but also a diplomat, serving at various European courts. He was knighted by both Philip IV of Spain and Charles I of England. His diplomatic missions often intertwined with his artistic endeavors, as seen during his travels to Spain and Italy. In addition to painting, he was involved in designing tapestries, prints, and book title-pages. He ran a large workshop in Antwerp, producing works that were popular with nobility and art collectors across Europe. His studio was in his home, the Rubenshuis, now a museum.
His influence extended to his students, notably Anthony van Dyck, and his collaborative works with other artists like Jan Brueghel the Elder. Rubens' work continued to be celebrated for its vitality and influence on the Baroque style, making him one of the most influential artists of his time.
For those interested in the work and life of Peter Paul Rubens, many of his works can be found in museums and galleries worldwide, including the National Gallery in London, which houses several of his paintings like "A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning" and "Minerva protects Pax from Mars ('Peace and War')".
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Adriaen Pietersz. van de Venne was a Dutch painter, graphic artist, and poet of the Golden Age and a member of the Guild of St. Luke in The Hague. He is known for his paintings of genre scenes, allegories, portraits, and historical scenes. De Venne painted many engravings illustrating genre scenes depicting peasants, old men, vagabonds, madmen, and thieves. These works often illustrate aphorisms and proverbs.
Julius Adam d. J. was a German animal painter who became known primarily for his paintings of kittens, for which he earned the nickname Kittenadam. His father Julius Adam the Elder was a photographer and lithographer.
