Giovanni Pietro de Pomis
Encyclopedia
Giovanni Pietro de Pomis (* ca. 1565 (?) or 1569/70 (?) in Lodi
, Lombardy
, Italy
; † 6 March 1633 in Graz
, Styria, Austria
) was an Italian painter, medailleur (minter of medals), architect and fortress master builder. His works show a marked influence of late-Mannerism
.
Jacopo Tintoretto. From 1588 to 1595, before coming to Graz
, de Pomis served as the chamber painter to Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
in the Tyrol
(not to be confused with Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
who was de Pomis’s subsequent patron). On the 25th October 1595 de Pomis married Judith Anna Dermoyen, the daughter of a Dutch
court tapestry master. In that same year his son Johannes Baptist came into the world. He was followed by his sister Elisabeth in 1596. De Pomis and his wife had a total of 13 children; some of whom died at a young age. Both sons Johannes Baptist and Johann Nikolaus died in the Long War (Ottoman wars)
.
In 1595 the Italian artist was appointed as a court artist under Archduke Ferdinand (later Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
) in the Styrian
capital of Graz
. Traveling with his patron to Rome
and Loreto
and with Ferdinand’s mother, the Archduchess Maria to Spain
de Pomis became a close acquaintance of his later principal, Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
. It was likely on this trip to Spain that he made sketches of El Escorial
which served as a model for Schloss Eggenberg
. In 1600 the artist was granted his own coat of arms
. In 1601 he was employed as a military engineer in Ferdinand’s retinue in Groß-Kanizsa. Beside his activity as a painter, medailleur and architect he was also a fortress master builder in Görz
, Trieste
, Gradisca and Fiume
.
In 1619, he founded the Confraternity of Painters in Graz and was selected to the board of directors. Ferdinand II
bestowed nobility
on him on the 10th February 1623 in Regensburg
. This confirmation of nobility, also afforded an improvement to the coat of arms and lent de Pomis the title von Truiberg. The last years of the court artist’s life were marred by a misappropriation of construction funds (1630) and discrepancies with the court chamber. On the 6th March 1633 at the age of 63, after long years of illness, Giovanni Pietro de Pomis died and was buried in his own work, the Graz Mariahilferkirche. He was survived by his widow and four daughters.
Among his most famous works are the Mausoleum of Ruprecht von Eggenberg to Ehrenhausen
in Ehrenhausen
, Schloss Eggenberg (Graz)
which he designed with the help of his principle, Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
, the Mariahilferkirche in Graz, which also holds the Eggenberg family crypt
and was later renovated by Joseph Hueber
, as well as the Graz Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and the attached Mausoleum of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
which was not completed in de Pomis' lifetime but was finished by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
at the behest of Ferdinand's
grand-son Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
.
Paintings
Lodi
-Places:In Canada:* Lodi, Ontario, a community in North Stormont, OntarioIn Italy:* Lodi, Lombardy, in the Province of Lodi of the Lombardy region** The Treaty of Lodi, 1454 between Italian city-states** The Battle of Lodi, 1796 in Lodi...
, Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, Italy
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...
; † 6 March 1633 in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, Styria, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) was an Italian painter, medailleur (minter of medals), architect and fortress master builder. His works show a marked influence of late-Mannerism
Mannerism
Mannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
.
Biography
De Pomis was apparently a pupil of the VenetianVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
Jacopo Tintoretto. From 1588 to 1595, before coming to Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, de Pomis served as the chamber painter to Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria
Ferdinand II, Archduke of Further Austria was ruler of Further Austria including Tirol.-Life account:...
in the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
(not to be confused with Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
who was de Pomis’s subsequent patron). On the 25th October 1595 de Pomis married Judith Anna Dermoyen, the daughter of a Dutch
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
court tapestry master. In that same year his son Johannes Baptist came into the world. He was followed by his sister Elisabeth in 1596. De Pomis and his wife had a total of 13 children; some of whom died at a young age. Both sons Johannes Baptist and Johann Nikolaus died in the Long War (Ottoman wars)
Long War (Ottoman wars)
The Long War took place from 1591 or 1593 to 1604 or 1606 and was one of the numerous military conflicts between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire that developed after the Battle of Mohács.- History :The major participants of this war were the Habsburg Monarchy ,...
.
In 1595 the Italian artist was appointed as a court artist under Archduke Ferdinand (later Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
) in the Styrian
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
capital of Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. Traveling with his patron to 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...
and Loreto
Loreto
-Places:*Loreto, Santiago del Estero, Argentina*Loreto , village and municipality in Misiones Province, Argentina*Loreto, Beni, Bolivia*Loreto , Brazil...
and with Ferdinand’s mother, the Archduchess Maria to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
de Pomis became a close acquaintance of his later principal, Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg was an Austrian statesman, a son of Seyfried von Eggenberg and great-grandson of Balthasar Eggenberger of the House of Eggenberg.- Biography :...
. It was likely on this trip to Spain that he made sketches of El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
which served as a model for Schloss Eggenberg
Schloss Eggenberg (Graz)
Eggenberg Palace in Graz is the most significant Baroque palace complex in Styria. With its preserved accouterments, the extensive scenic gardens as well as some additional collections from the Universalmuseum Joanneum housed in the palace and park, Schloss Eggenberg counts among the most valuable...
. In 1600 the artist was granted his own coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. In 1601 he was employed as a military engineer in Ferdinand’s retinue in Groß-Kanizsa. Beside his activity as a painter, medailleur and architect he was also a fortress master builder in Görz
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
, Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Gradisca and Fiume
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
.
In 1619, he founded the Confraternity of Painters in Graz and was selected to the board of directors. Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
bestowed nobility
Austrian nobility
Historically, the Austrian nobility was a privileged social class in Austria. The nobility was officially abolished in 1919 after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Former noble families and their descendants are still a part of Austrian society today, but they no longer retain any specific...
on him on the 10th February 1623 in Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
. This confirmation of nobility, also afforded an improvement to the coat of arms and lent de Pomis the title von Truiberg. The last years of the court artist’s life were marred by a misappropriation of construction funds (1630) and discrepancies with the court chamber. On the 6th March 1633 at the age of 63, after long years of illness, Giovanni Pietro de Pomis died and was buried in his own work, the Graz Mariahilferkirche. He was survived by his widow and four daughters.
Among his most famous works are the Mausoleum of Ruprecht von Eggenberg to Ehrenhausen
Ruprecht von Eggenberg
Ruprecht von Eggenberg was an Austrian colonel-general from the Duchy of Styria in Inner Austria, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He was a member of the Eggenberger family and cousin to Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg.-Military career:He chose a military career early on in his life...
in Ehrenhausen
Ehrenhausen
Ehrenhausen is a municipality in the district of Leibnitz in Styria, Austria. The district was at one time the seat of a branch of the Eggenberg dynasty and the Schlossberg to Ehrenhausen features the mausoleum of Ruprecht von Eggenberg and his nephew Wolf von Eggenberg which was designed by...
, Schloss Eggenberg (Graz)
Schloss Eggenberg (Graz)
Eggenberg Palace in Graz is the most significant Baroque palace complex in Styria. With its preserved accouterments, the extensive scenic gardens as well as some additional collections from the Universalmuseum Joanneum housed in the palace and park, Schloss Eggenberg counts among the most valuable...
which he designed with the help of his principle, Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg was an Austrian statesman, a son of Seyfried von Eggenberg and great-grandson of Balthasar Eggenberger of the House of Eggenberg.- Biography :...
, the Mariahilferkirche in Graz, which also holds the Eggenberg family crypt
House of Eggenberg
Eggenberg is the name of an Austrian noble family from Styria whose last male heir died in 1717 bringing an end to the House of Eggenberg.- History :The origin of the Austrian noble house of Eggenberg is shrouded in darkness...
and was later renovated by Joseph Hueber
Joseph Hueber
Joseph Hueber, , was a significant Austrian baroque master builder who studied under Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt.-Buildings & Projects:...
, as well as the Graz Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria and the attached Mausoleum of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
which was not completed in de Pomis' lifetime but was finished by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
----Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, born Johann Bernhard Fischer was probably the most influential Austrian architect of the Baroque period....
at the behest of Ferdinand's
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
grand-son Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
.
Selected Works
Architecture- Mariahilferkirche (Graz)
- Katharinenkirche und Mausoleum (Graz)
- Schloss Eggenberg (Graz)Schloss Eggenberg (Graz)Eggenberg Palace in Graz is the most significant Baroque palace complex in Styria. With its preserved accouterments, the extensive scenic gardens as well as some additional collections from the Universalmuseum Joanneum housed in the palace and park, Schloss Eggenberg counts among the most valuable...
- Sacristy in the Graz Cathedral
- Mausoleum of Ruprecht von EggenbergRuprecht von EggenbergRuprecht von Eggenberg was an Austrian colonel-general from the Duchy of Styria in Inner Austria, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He was a member of the Eggenberger family and cousin to Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg.-Military career:He chose a military career early on in his life...
in EhrenhausenEhrenhausenEhrenhausen is a municipality in the district of Leibnitz in Styria, Austria. The district was at one time the seat of a branch of the Eggenberg dynasty and the Schlossberg to Ehrenhausen features the mausoleum of Ruprecht von Eggenberg and his nephew Wolf von Eggenberg which was designed by... - Wallfahrtskirche zum hl. Antonius von Padua in RadmerRadmerRadmer is a municipality in the district of Leoben in Styria, Austria....
, Styria - Castello di San Giusto in Triest
Paintings
- Original painting of the façade of Herzogshofs in Graz
- Altar paintings in the Graz Cathedral
- Altar painting in the Graz Antoniuskirche (Graz)
- Portrait of Hans Ulrich von EggenbergHans Ulrich von EggenbergHans Ulrich von Eggenberg was an Austrian statesman, a son of Seyfried von Eggenberg and great-grandson of Balthasar Eggenberger of the House of Eggenberg.- Biography :...
in the Alte Galerie of the Joanneum in Schloss EggenbergSchloss Eggenberg (Graz)Eggenberg Palace in Graz is the most significant Baroque palace complex in Styria. With its preserved accouterments, the extensive scenic gardens as well as some additional collections from the Universalmuseum Joanneum housed in the palace and park, Schloss Eggenberg counts among the most valuable... - Archduke FerdinandFerdinand II, Holy Roman EmperorFerdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
as Fighter for a Righteous Cause in the Alte Galerie
Literature
- Werner Strahalm und Peter Laukhardt: Graz. Eine Stadtgeschichte. Edition Strahalm, Graz 2003, S. 149ff.
- Kurt Woisetschläger et al.: Giovanni Pietro de Pomis. Graz: Verlag Styria, 1974. ISBN 3-222-10847-1
- Barbara Kaiser: Schloss Eggenberg. Graz: Christian Brandstätter Verlag, 2006. ISBN 3-902510-80-3 (English Edition) or ISBN 3-902510-96-X (German Edition)