In the 16th century, the proud and rich Republic of Venice entered a period of unstoppable decline - dominated by power, wealth and greed, the Venetians celebrated themselves to death, while other peoples all around expanded their powers. Only the visual arts of the Baroque period achieved a successful synthesis of genius, material and technique in Venice as well as in Rome, barely 400 kilometers away, so that painting reached its highest level of perfection up to that time. Masterpieces of high expressiveness and special beauty were created. Rome and Venice had simultaneously become special attractions for the most famous artists. Among the great painters of that time was Carlo Saraceni. In 1579 Carlo Saraceni was born in Venice to a family of silk merchants from Bologna. He owed his artistic education to the lagoon city and at the age of 20 Saraceni then went to Rome. Here he spent large periods of his short life and here he was called "Carlo Venetiano". Later returning to Venice, the master of Baroque painting died in June 1620, in the midst of work on paintings for the Hall of the Great Council of Venice.
During his time in Rome, Saraceni's paintings appeared to be influenced to a lesser extent by the Venetian painting of Bassano, Veronese or Tintoretto, but rather by Flemish and German painters. These included the German painters Adam Elsheimer and Hans Rottenhammer as well as the Flemish Pietro Mera and Gasper Rem, who had perfected small-format painting on copper and thus also developed an astonishingly active trade. When Saraceni arrived in Rome in 1598, he was probably more intrigued by the artistic fervor in the papal city. After all, the upcoming millennium was to be greeted with beautifully restored churches. At the same time, Baroque painters were experimenting with new contemporary painting styles and the selection of particular naturalistic motifs. Particular influence on Carlo Saraceni is attributed to Michelangelo Merisi (or: Amerighi), called Caravaggio, who combined artistic perfection with actual criminal tendencies. In particular, Carvaggio's paintings in the Contarelli Chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi had deeply impressed Saraceni - and consequently Saraceni's style approached the expression of the restless Carvaggio. Thus, Carlo Saraceni's mode of expression in his paintings was characterized by a sentimental, almost elegiac timbre, by an internalized and very human religiosity, and by a natural fascination for colors. Saraceni's closeness to Carvaggio also earned him several commissions for altarpieces complementary to Caravaggio's works, for example for the church of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome's Trastevere district.
After Carlo Saraceni executed highly acclaimed commissioned paintings for influential Roman families, intended for private devotions in small chapels and oratories, he became one of the most important protagonists of painting in the early 17th century. Other highlights of his artistic career were the large fascinating altarpieces.
In the 16th century, the proud and rich Republic of Venice entered a period of unstoppable decline - dominated by power, wealth and greed, the Venetians celebrated themselves to death, while other peoples all around expanded their powers. Only the visual arts of the Baroque period achieved a successful synthesis of genius, material and technique in Venice as well as in Rome, barely 400 kilometers away, so that painting reached its highest level of perfection up to that time. Masterpieces of high expressiveness and special beauty were created. Rome and Venice had simultaneously become special attractions for the most famous artists. Among the great painters of that time was Carlo Saraceni. In 1579 Carlo Saraceni was born in Venice to a family of silk merchants from Bologna. He owed his artistic education to the lagoon city and at the age of 20 Saraceni then went to Rome. Here he spent large periods of his short life and here he was called "Carlo Venetiano". Later returning to Venice, the master of Baroque painting died in June 1620, in the midst of work on paintings for the Hall of the Great Council of Venice.
During his time in Rome, Saraceni's paintings appeared to be influenced to a lesser extent by the Venetian painting of Bassano, Veronese or Tintoretto, but rather by Flemish and German painters. These included the German painters Adam Elsheimer and Hans Rottenhammer as well as the Flemish Pietro Mera and Gasper Rem, who had perfected small-format painting on copper and thus also developed an astonishingly active trade. When Saraceni arrived in Rome in 1598, he was probably more intrigued by the artistic fervor in the papal city. After all, the upcoming millennium was to be greeted with beautifully restored churches. At the same time, Baroque painters were experimenting with new contemporary painting styles and the selection of particular naturalistic motifs. Particular influence on Carlo Saraceni is attributed to Michelangelo Merisi (or: Amerighi), called Caravaggio, who combined artistic perfection with actual criminal tendencies. In particular, Carvaggio's paintings in the Contarelli Chapel in San Luigi dei Francesi had deeply impressed Saraceni - and consequently Saraceni's style approached the expression of the restless Carvaggio. Thus, Carlo Saraceni's mode of expression in his paintings was characterized by a sentimental, almost elegiac timbre, by an internalized and very human religiosity, and by a natural fascination for colors. Saraceni's closeness to Carvaggio also earned him several commissions for altarpieces complementary to Caravaggio's works, for example for the church of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome's Trastevere district.
After Carlo Saraceni executed highly acclaimed commissioned paintings for influential Roman families, intended for private devotions in small chapels and oratories, he became one of the most important protagonists of painting in the early 17th century. Other highlights of his artistic career were the large fascinating altarpieces.
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