Belisario Corenzio
Encyclopedia
Belisario Corenzio was an Italian Mannerist
painter
, a Greek
by birth. He is reputed, with little documentation, to have studied under Tintoretto
, in part because his drawings often resemble those of the Venetian
painter. He moved to Naples
in 1590, where he was prodigiously active.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911, his style was "careless; soul, unscrupulous". They also claim that when Guido Reni
came in 1621 to Naples to paint in the chapel of the cathedral of San Gennaro
, Corenzio suborned an assassin
to take his life. The hired bravo killed Guido's assistant, and effectually frightened Reni, who prudently withdrew ultimately to Bologna.
Corenzio, however, only suffered temporary imprisonment, and lived long enough to supplant Ribera in the good graces of the viceroy of Naples, who made him his court painter
. Corenzio vainly endeavoured to fill Guido's place in the frescoes for the chapel. His work was adjudged to have been under the mark, and yet the numerous frescoes which he left in Neapolitan churches and palaces, and the large wall paintings which covered the cupola of the church of Monte Cassino
(destroyed in 1944) are evidence of uncommon facility, and show that Corenzio was not greatly inferior to the fa prestos of his time. His florid style, indeed, seems well in keeping with the overladen architecture and full-blown decorative ornament peculiar to the Jesuit builders of the 17th century. Corenzio died, it is said, at the age of eighty-five by a fall from a scaffolding. Other sources say he poisoned himself (Wornum p. 49).
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...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
by birth. He is reputed, with little documentation, to have studied under Tintoretto
Tintoretto
Tintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
, in part because his drawings often resemble those of the Venetian
Venice
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...
painter. He moved to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in 1590, where he was prodigiously active.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911, his style was "careless; soul, unscrupulous". They also claim that when Guido Reni
Guido Reni
Guido Reni was an Italian painter of high-Baroque style.-Biography:Born in Bologna into a family of musicians, Guido Reni was the son of Daniele Reni and Ginevra de’ Pozzi. As a child of nine, he was apprenticed under the Bolognese studio of Denis Calvaert. Soon after, he was joined in that...
came in 1621 to Naples to paint in the chapel of the cathedral of San Gennaro
Cathedral of Naples
Naples Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, the main church of Naples, southern Italy, and the seat of the Archbishop of Naples. It is widely known as the Cattedrale di San Gennaro, in honour of Saint Januarius, the city's patron saint, but is actually dedicated to the Assumption of the...
, Corenzio suborned an assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
to take his life. The hired bravo killed Guido's assistant, and effectually frightened Reni, who prudently withdrew ultimately to Bologna.
Corenzio, however, only suffered temporary imprisonment, and lived long enough to supplant Ribera in the good graces of the viceroy of Naples, who made him his court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
. Corenzio vainly endeavoured to fill Guido's place in the frescoes for the chapel. His work was adjudged to have been under the mark, and yet the numerous frescoes which he left in Neapolitan churches and palaces, and the large wall paintings which covered the cupola of the church of Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, Italy, c. to the west of the town of Cassino and altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944...
(destroyed in 1944) are evidence of uncommon facility, and show that Corenzio was not greatly inferior to the fa prestos of his time. His florid style, indeed, seems well in keeping with the overladen architecture and full-blown decorative ornament peculiar to the Jesuit builders of the 17th century. Corenzio died, it is said, at the age of eighty-five by a fall from a scaffolding. Other sources say he poisoned himself (Wornum p. 49).