Friday, August 5, 2016

18th-century Venetian Frescoes by Louis Dorigny

Louis Dorigny
Personification of Painting
1695-98
fresco
Ballroom, Palazzo Zenobio, Venice

Louis Dorigny (1654-1742) was born into a well-established family of Parisian artists. His grandfather was Simon Vouet (1590-1649) whose fame as painter and teacher was widespread both in France and Italy. Vouet was the master who trained Charles Le Brun (1619-1690). Le Brun in turn became the favorite painter of Louis XIV at Versailles. And it was ultimately Le Brun who taught advanced technique to young Louis Dorigny.

Louis Dorigny
Pan & The Hours
ca. 1710
fresco
Ballroom, Palazzo Dolfin, Treviso

In 1672 at age 18 Dorigny won the Prix de Rome and spent the next four years at the Villa Medici completing his training. Italy agreed with him so well that he Italianized his own given name to Ludovico. By 1678 he had settled in Venitian territory and at once began to gain commissions for spectacular fresco-programs in churches and fashionable country villas. Louis (or Ludovico) Dorigny remained in the same region  creating his ambitious and profitable frescoes  for the next sixty years.

Louis Dorigny
Battle of Centaurs & Lapiths
ca. 1719
fresco
Villa Arvedi, Cuzzano

Louis Dorigny
Battle of Centaurs & Lapiths (detail of fallen Lapith)
ca. 1719
fresco
Villa Arvedi, Cuzzano

Louis Dorigny
Perseus with the Head of Medusa
ca. 1719
fresco
Villa Arvedi, Cuzzano

Louis Dorigny
Perseus with the Head of Medusa (detail)
ca. 1719
fresco
Villa Arvedi, Cuzzano

Louis Dorigny
Sculpted Nudes in Struggle
ca. 1719
fresco
Villa Arvedi, Cuzzano

Louis Dorigny
Pan & Sleeping Nymph
ca. 1710
fresco
Ballroom, Palazzo Dolfin, Treviso

Louis Dorigny
Bacchanal (detail)
ca. 1710
fresco
Ballroom, Palazzo Dolfin, Treviso

Louis Dorigny
Bacchanal (detail)
ca. 1710
fresco
Ballroom, Palazzo Dolfin, Treviso

Louis Dorigny
Personification of Justice
ca. 1701-1711
fresco
Palazzo Repeta, Vicenza

Louis Dorigny
Personification of Hope 
ca. 1701-1711
fresco
Palazzo Repeta, Vicenza

Louis Dorigny
Figures of Deception & Avarice 
ca. 1701-1711
fresco
Palazzo Repeta, Vicenza

Louis Dorigny
Figures of Sloth & Lust 
ca. 1701-1711
fresco
Palazzo Repeta, Vicenza