Cristopher Unterberger
Encyclopedia
Christopher Unterberger was an Italian
painter of the early-Neoclassical
period.
in County of Tyrol
(today located in Trentino, Italy
). He was initially taught drawing by an uncle, Franz Unterberger, and then in the Academy of Fine Arts of Vienna
, where Michelangelo Unterberger
, was the co-director from 1751-1758. He then traveled to Venice
and Verona
, where he studied under Giambettino Cignaroli
; and finally in 1758, to Rome
.
In Rome, he befriended and fell under the influence of Anton Rafael Mengs, and copied the works of Pietro da Cortona
, in whose style he produced two altar-pieces of St. Jules and St. Agnes for the cathedral of Brixen
. In 1772, he joined the Accademia di San Luca
under the sponsorship of Mengs. In 1772, he and Mengs were commissioned to decorate the Papyrus room in the Vatican Library
with themes from classic Roman frescoes, including grotteschi and other painted ornament,
Starting in 1780, he led a team of artists replicating on canvas the Vatican Loggia designed by Bramante and Raphael
. The commission had been communicated by Giacomo Quarenghi
, the architect to Empress Catherine II of Russia
. Quarenghi replicated the classic decoration gallery in the Hermitage
in St. Petersburg.
He also decorated the Stanza d'Ercole (1784-86) in Villa Borghese
for Marcantonio Borghese. Once called Stanza del Sonno because of the statue of Sleep by Alessandro Algardi
. The frescoes depict the Apotheosis of Hercules in the center surrounded by four of stories of his life, Receiving the horns of Achelous; Hercules and Lichas; Nessus and Deianeira, and the Death of Hercules. In 1790-91, Unterberger also helped design the playful fountain of the Cavalli Marini and the architectural cappriccio of a hemi-facade (simulated ruins) of the Temple of Faustina in the Borghese gardens.
His works were mostly historical, but he also executed genre subjects, landscapes, and fruit and flower-pieces. He painted some genre paintings now in the Liechtenstein Gallery in Vienna
. He painted a Madonna with St. John for the Ferdinandeum at Innsbruck
; a Martyrdom of St. Pontianus for the cathedral at Spoleto
; and an Assumption for the Loreto
Cathedral. A number of his works can be seen in the Pinacoteca Civica Fortunato Duranti
. He saw the commission for the decoration of a ceiling of the ducal palace of Genoa
go to Giandomenico Tiepolo instead of him. He died in Rome
.His brother Ignaz Unterberger was a prominent painter who was active in Vienna.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
painter of the early-Neoclassical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
period.
Biography
He was born in CavaleseCavalese
Cavalese is a comune of 3,665 inhabitants in Trentino, northern Italy, a ski resort and the main center in the Val di Fiemme.The cable car from Cavalese to the nearby mountain Cermis has been the site of two major cable-car accidents, one in 1976 and one in 1998 Cavalese is a comune of 3,665...
in County of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
(today located in Trentino, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). He was initially taught drawing by an uncle, Franz Unterberger, and then in the Academy of Fine Arts of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where Michelangelo Unterberger
Michelangelo Unterberger
Michelangelo Unterberger , was an Austrian painter.Unterberger was born at Cavalese, in what was then Austrian Tyrol, and was part of an Austrian family of artists. He was originally taught by Giuseppe Alberti, and painted primarily religious-themed works. -References:...
, was the co-director from 1751-1758. He then traveled to Venice
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...
and Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, where he studied under Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli
Giambettino Cignaroli was an Italian painter of the Rococo and early Neoclassic period.He was born and died in Verona. He was a pupil of Santo Prunato and Antonio Balestra and active mostly in the area of the Veneto...
; and finally in 1758, to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
In Rome, he befriended and fell under the influence of Anton Rafael Mengs, and copied the works of Pietro da Cortona
Pietro da Cortona
Pietro da Cortona, by the name of Pietro Berrettini, born Pietro Berrettini da Cortona, was the leading Italian Baroque painter of his time and also one of the key architects in the emergence of Roman Baroque architecture. He was also an important decorator...
, in whose style he produced two altar-pieces of St. Jules and St. Agnes for the cathedral of Brixen
Brixen
Brixen is the name of two cities in the Alps:*Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy*Brixen im Thale, Tyrol, AustriaBrixen may also refer to:*Bishopric of Brixen, the former north-Italian state....
. In 1772, he joined the Accademia di San Luca
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca, was founded in 1577 as an association of artists in Rome, under the directorship of Federico Zuccari, with the purpose of elevating the work of "artists", which included painters, sculptors and architects, above that of mere craftsmen. Other founders included Girolamo...
under the sponsorship of Mengs. In 1772, he and Mengs were commissioned to decorate the Papyrus room in the Vatican Library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
with themes from classic Roman frescoes, including grotteschi and other painted ornament,
Starting in 1780, he led a team of artists replicating on canvas the Vatican Loggia designed by Bramante and Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
. The commission had been communicated by Giacomo Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi
Giacomo Quarenghi was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of Palladian architecture in Imperial Russia, particularly in Saint Petersburg.- Career in Italy :...
, the architect to Empress Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
. Quarenghi replicated the classic decoration gallery in the Hermitage
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
in St. Petersburg.
He also decorated the Stanza d'Ercole (1784-86) in Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese may refer to:*The Villa Borghese Pinciana , the villa built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio , developing sketches by Scipione Borghese, who used it as a villa suburbana, a party villa, at the edge of Rome, and to house his art collection.**The Galleria...
for Marcantonio Borghese. Once called Stanza del Sonno because of the statue of Sleep by Alessandro Algardi
Alessandro Algardi
Alessandro Algardi was an Italian high-Baroque sculptor active almost exclusively in Rome, where for the latter decades of his life, he was the major rival of Gian Lorenzo Bernini.-Early years:...
. The frescoes depict the Apotheosis of Hercules in the center surrounded by four of stories of his life, Receiving the horns of Achelous; Hercules and Lichas; Nessus and Deianeira, and the Death of Hercules. In 1790-91, Unterberger also helped design the playful fountain of the Cavalli Marini and the architectural cappriccio of a hemi-facade (simulated ruins) of the Temple of Faustina in the Borghese gardens.
His works were mostly historical, but he also executed genre subjects, landscapes, and fruit and flower-pieces. He painted some genre paintings now in the Liechtenstein Gallery in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He painted a Madonna with St. John for the Ferdinandeum at Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
; a Martyrdom of St. Pontianus for the cathedral at Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
; and an Assumption for the Loreto
Loreto (AN)
Loreto is a hilltown and comune of the Italian province of Ancona, in the Marche. It is mostly famous as the seat of the Basilica della Santa Casa, a popular Catholic pilgrimage site.-Location:...
Cathedral. A number of his works can be seen in the Pinacoteca Civica Fortunato Duranti
Pinacoteca Civica Fortunato Duranti
The 19th century painter Fortunato Duranti donated hundreds of items or art and furniture, he had collected to the town of Montefortino. The remainder of the collection is presently displayed in a pinacoteca .-Paintings in Pinacoteca Civica Fortunato Duranti:...
. He saw the commission for the decoration of a ceiling of the ducal palace of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
go to Giandomenico Tiepolo instead of him. He died in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.His brother Ignaz Unterberger was a prominent painter who was active in Vienna.