Andrea Pozzo Hercules Hall 1704-08 ceiling fresco Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna |
Vincenzo Giustiniani was one of the most active art collectors and connoisseurs in 17th-century Rome. The translated quotation below is from a long letter-essay he addressed to a friend concerning the methods of painting and the rankings of painters –
"Be warned however that it is not enough to make a mere reproduction [of natural objects]. Rather it is necessary that the work be well designed, with fine well-proportioned contours. It must have pleasing and appropriate coloring, which comes from the experience of knowing how to handle colors, and almost from instinct, and is a gift granted to few. Above all, one has to know how to give the right light to each part so that the grayed colors are not harsh but are done smoothly and harmoniously. However the dark areas and the lighted areas must be distinct so that the eye is satisfied by the blending of the lights and dark without alteration of the true color and without harming the spirit of the painting."
Andrea Pozzo Hercules Hall (detail) 1704-08 ceiling fresco Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna |
Andrea Pozzo Hercules Hall (detail) 1704-08 ceiling fresco Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna |
Andrea Pozzo Hercules Hall (detail) 1704-08 ceiling fresco Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna |
Andrea Pozzo Hercules Hall (detail) 1704-08 ceiling fresco Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna |
Louis Dorigny Mythological scene ca 1719 ceiling fresco Villa Allegri Arvedi, Cuzzano di Grezzana |
Louis Dorigny Mythological scene (detail) ca. 1719 ceiling fresco Villa Allegri Arvedi, Cuzzano di Grezzana |
Louis Dorigny Mythological scene (detail) ca. 1719 ceiling fresco Villa Allegri Arvedi, Cuzzano di Grezzana |
Louis Dorigny Mythological scene (detail) ca. 1719 ceiling fresco Villa Allegri Arvedi, Cuzzano di Grezzana |
Niccolò Bambini Mythological scene ca. 1708 ceiling fresco Ca' Dolfin in San Pantalon, Venice |
Alessandro Allori Women on a terrace 1589 ceiling fresco Loggetta, Palazzo Pitti, Florence |
Giambattista Tiepolo Nuptial Allegory 1757 ceiling fresco Ca' Rezzonico, Venice |
Giambattista Tiepolo Nuptial Allegory (detail) 1757 ceiling fresco Ca' Rezzonico, Venice |
Giambattista Tiepolo Nuptial Allegory (detail) 1757 ceiling fresco Ca' Rezzonico, Venice |