Giovanni Agostino Ratti
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Agostino Ratti was an Italian
painter of the late-Baroque
period.
Born in Savona
, and active in Genoa
, he constructed scenography for the theatre, and the cabinets with lively caricatures, which he also engraved. He was clever in church paintings, as may be seen in the church of San Giovanni at Savono, where, besides other subjects of the Baptist, there is a much praised Decollation. He painted also in the church of Santa Teresa in Genoa; and was a follower of Benedetto Luti
, whose school he had frequented when in Rome
. He was also a good fresco-painter ; and I have seen his works in the choir of the Conventual church in Casale Monferrato
, where he added figures to the quadratura of Giuseppe Natali
. But subjects of humor were his forte. In these he had an exhaustless fancy, fertile and ever creative. Nothing can be more amusing than his masks, representing quarrels, dances, and such scenes as form the subjects of comedy. Giovanni's son, Carlo Giuseppe Ratti
, was an artist and art biographer.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
painter of the late-Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
period.
Born in Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
, and active in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, he constructed scenography for the theatre, and the cabinets with lively caricatures, which he also engraved. He was clever in church paintings, as may be seen in the church of San Giovanni at Savono, where, besides other subjects of the Baptist, there is a much praised Decollation. He painted also in the church of Santa Teresa in Genoa; and was a follower of Benedetto Luti
Benedetto Luti
Benedetto Luti was an Italian painter.-Biography:Luti was born in Florence. He moved to Rome in 1691 where he was patronized by Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, an enthusiast for the pastel portrait. Luti was one of the first artists to work in pastels as the final composition as...
, whose school he had frequented when in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He was also a good fresco-painter ; and I have seen his works in the choir of the Conventual church in Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato, population 36,058, is a town and comune in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, part of the province of Alessandria. It is situated about 60 km east of Turin on the right bank of the Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montferrato hills. Beyond the river lies the...
, where he added figures to the quadratura of Giuseppe Natali
Giuseppe Natali
Giuseppe Natali was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Cremona and Lombardy. He was born in Casal Maggiore, near Cremona. He became a noted painter of quadratura and was influenced by painters of this genre in Rome and Bologna, including Girolamo Curti, Angelo Michele...
. But subjects of humor were his forte. In these he had an exhaustless fancy, fertile and ever creative. Nothing can be more amusing than his masks, representing quarrels, dances, and such scenes as form the subjects of comedy. Giovanni's son, Carlo Giuseppe Ratti
Carlo Giuseppe Ratti
Carlo Giuseppe Ratti was an Italian art biographer and painter of the late-Baroque period. He was a pupil of the painter Giovanni Agostino Ratti. Born in Genoa, he moved to Rome where he befriended Anton Raphael Mengs and Pompeo Batoni...
, was an artist and art biographer.