Cesare Maccari
Encyclopedia
Cesare Maccari was an Italian painter and sculptor, most famous for his 1888 painting Cicerone denuncia Catalina (usually translated as Cicero Accuses Catiline or Cicero Denounces Catiline).
and later worked in the atelier of Luigi Mussini
in Florence
. There in 1864 he was commissioned by an English society to copy works of Bernardino Pinturicchio found in the cathedral of Siena.
His works were first bought by the Marquis Pieri-Nerli who also commissioned him to paint frescoes of the four evangelists
in his home in Quinciano, a hamlet in the comune of Monteroni d'Arbia
.
In later life Maccari became a lecturer at the Accademia di San Luca
in Rome. He became paralyzed while working on the Palace of Justice in Rome in 1909 and as a result stopped working as an artist. He died in Rome in 1919.
) which won an award in 1865. In his home town Siena he decorated the Sala del Risorgimento in the public palace with frescoes that were well-received by critics.
Between 1882 and 1888 Maccari painted a series of fresco
es depicting Roman life at the "Sala Maccari" in the Salone d'Onore in Rome's Palazzo Madama
, seat of the Italian Senate
, amongst them his most famous work, Cicero Denounces Catiline.
Maccari's most famous work of art depicts Cicero
's Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita, his first speech denouncing Catiline
in the Roman Senate
which drove him from the city (63 BC). Maccari has been praised for the way his paintings captured the description of events, i.e. how Catiline has been avoided by his fellow senators and sat alone while Cicero attacked him. On the other hand, his work has been criticized for some historical inaccuracy, since he depicted the Senate meeting in the wrong place — the Senate actually met in the Temple of Jupiter Stator
, not in the Senate House (Curia Cornelia
). Cicero was 43 years of age at the time but looks much older while Catiline, who was two years older than Cicero, looks much younger than him. The painting has been reproduced in many textbooks and histories of Rome, to a point where its depiction of the Roman Senate has been influencing the presentation of the Senate of the Roman Republic in non-fiction books. It is also considered the most famous painting depicting Cicero's consulship.
Biography
Maccari was a student of the "institute of the fine arts" in Siena together with Tito SarrocchiTito Sarrocchi
Tito Sarrocchi was an Italian sculptor.-Biography:Sarrocchi was born in Siena and in 1841 moved to Florence where he was taught Fine Arts by Lorenzo Bartolini. He later worked as the chief assistant to Giovanni Duprè. In 1852 he created his first independent work, The Bacchante before returning...
and later worked in the atelier of Luigi Mussini
Luigi Mussini
Luigi Mussini , was an Italian painter. He was born in Berlin, and died in Siena....
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. There in 1864 he was commissioned by an English society to copy works of Bernardino Pinturicchio found in the cathedral of Siena.
His works were first bought by the Marquis Pieri-Nerli who also commissioned him to paint frescoes of the four evangelists
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
in his home in Quinciano, a hamlet in the comune of Monteroni d'Arbia
Monteroni d'Arbia
Monteroni d'Arbia is a comune in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 60 km south of Florence and about 13 km southeast of Siena in the area known as the Crete Senesi. It takes its names from the Arbia torrent, a tributary of the Ombrone River.-Main...
.
In later life Maccari became a lecturer at the Accademia di San Luca
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca, was founded in 1577 as an association of artists in Rome, under the directorship of Federico Zuccari, with the purpose of elevating the work of "artists", which included painters, sculptors and architects, above that of mere craftsmen. Other founders included Girolamo...
in Rome. He became paralyzed while working on the Palace of Justice in Rome in 1909 and as a result stopped working as an artist. He died in Rome in 1919.
Works
In 1863, Maccari painted Leonardo che ritrae la Gioconda (commonly translated Leonardo [da Vinci] painting the Mona LisaMona Lisa
Mona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
) which won an award in 1865. In his home town Siena he decorated the Sala del Risorgimento in the public palace with frescoes that were well-received by critics.
Between 1882 and 1888 Maccari painted a series of fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es depicting Roman life at the "Sala Maccari" in the Salone d'Onore in Rome's Palazzo Madama
Palazzo Madama
Palazzo Madama is a palace in Rome that is currently the home of the Senate of the Italian Republic.It was built atop the ruins of the ancient baths of Nero, next to Piazza Navona...
, seat of the Italian Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
, amongst them his most famous work, Cicero Denounces Catiline.
Cicerone denuncia Catalina
- See also: Catiline OrationsCatiline OrationsThe Catiline Orations or Catilinarian Orations were speeches given in 63 BC by Marcus Tullius Cicero, the consul of Rome, exposing to the Roman Senate the plot of Lucius Sergius Catilina and his allies to overthrow the Roman government....
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
's Oratio in Catilinam Prima in Senatu Habita, his first speech denouncing Catiline
Catiline
Lucius Sergius Catilina , known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Catiline conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate.-Family background:Catiline was born in 108 BC to...
in the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
which drove him from the city (63 BC). Maccari has been praised for the way his paintings captured the description of events, i.e. how Catiline has been avoided by his fellow senators and sat alone while Cicero attacked him. On the other hand, his work has been criticized for some historical inaccuracy, since he depicted the Senate meeting in the wrong place — the Senate actually met in the Temple of Jupiter Stator
Temple of Jupiter Stator
The Temple of Jupiter Stator can refer to two temples in ancient city of Rome:*Temple of Jupiter Stator *Temple of Jupiter Stator...
, not in the Senate House (Curia Cornelia
Curia Cornelia
The Curia Cornelia was a place where the Roman Senate assembled during ca. 80–50 BC. It was the largest of all the Curia built in Rome. Its construction took over a great deal of the traditional comitium space and brought the senate building into a commanding location within the Roman Forum as a...
). Cicero was 43 years of age at the time but looks much older while Catiline, who was two years older than Cicero, looks much younger than him. The painting has been reproduced in many textbooks and histories of Rome, to a point where its depiction of the Roman Senate has been influencing the presentation of the Senate of the Roman Republic in non-fiction books. It is also considered the most famous painting depicting Cicero's consulship.