Mattia Preti. Mattia Preti was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John. Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called Il Cavalier Calabrese after appointment as a Knight of the Order of St. John in 1660.
His early apprenticeship is said to have been with the Caravaggist Giovanni Battista Caracciolo, which may account for his lifelong interest in the style of Caravaggio. Probably before 1630, Preti joined his brother Gregorio, in Rome, where he became familiar with the techniques of Caravaggio and his school as well as with the work of Guercino, Rubens, Guido Reni, and Giovanni Lanfranco.
In Rome, he painted fresco cycles in the churches of Sant'Andrea della Valle and San Carlo ai Catinari. Between 1644 and 1646, he may have spent time in Venice, but remained based in Rome until 1653, returning later in 1660-61.
He painted frescoes for the church of San Biagio at Modena and participated in the fresco decoration of the Palazzo Pamphilj in Valmontone, where he worked along with Pier Francesco Mola, Gaspar Dughet, Francesco Cozza, Giovanni Battista Tassi, and Guglielmo Cortese. During most of 1653-1660, he worked in Naples, where he was influenced by another major painter of his era, Luca Giordano. One of Preti's masterpieces were a series of large frescoes, ex-votos of the plague, depicting the Virgin or sai
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John. Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called Il Cavalier Calabrese after appointment as a Knight of the Order of St. John in 1660.
His early apprenticeship is said to have been with the Caravaggist Giovanni Battista Caracciolo, which may account for his lifelong interest in the style of Caravaggio. Probably before 1630, Preti joined his brother Gregorio, in Rome, where he became familiar with the techniques of Caravaggio and his school as well as with the work of Guercino, Rubens, Guido Reni, and Giovanni Lanfranco.
In Rome, he painted fresco cycles in the churches of Sant'Andrea della Valle and San Carlo ai Catinari. Between 1644 and 1646, he may have spent time in Venice, but remained based in Rome until 1653, returning later in 1660-61.
He painted frescoes for the church of San Biagio at Modena and participated in the fresco decoration of the Palazzo Pamphilj in Valmontone, where he worked along with Pier Francesco Mola, Gaspar Dughet, Francesco Cozza, Giovanni Battista Tassi, and Guglielmo Cortese. During most of 1653-1660, he worked in Naples, where he was influenced by another major painter of his era, Luca Giordano. One of Preti's masterpieces were a series of large frescoes, ex-votos of the plague, depicting the Virgin or sai
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