Ludovico Brea
Encyclopedia
Ludovico Brea (c. 1450 – c. 1523) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance
, active mainly in and near Genoa
.
Brea was born into a family of coopers
in Nice
, and later moving to Liguria
, he painted numerous altarpiece
s that displayed both Lombardy
and Flemish
influences. One of his pupils was Teramo Piaggio
.
His earliest definite work is the Mercy between Saint Martino and Catherine of Alexandria, painted for the monastery of Cimiez
, near Nice
, in 1475; recent historical searches have also suggested his having painted the Madonna of the Confraternity of the Misericordia at Nice in 1465. Other notable works by Brea can be found along all the coast from Monaco
to Mentone
, from Taggia
to Imperia
(where the influence of the Lombardy painter Vincenzo Foppa
can be seen, and during which time he was in the service of Pope Julius II
), and from Savona
to Genoa, where he was active from 1483, leaving his work to the Church of the Consolation.
In Liguria, Ludovico's siblings Peter and Antonio Brea also operated as painters, as did Antonio's son, Francisco Brea (of whom details are only known for the period from 1512 to 1555).
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, active mainly in and near 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....
.
Brea was born into a family of coopers
Cooper (profession)
Traditionally, a cooper is someone who makes wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth, bound together with hoops and possessing flat ends or heads...
in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, and later moving to Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, he painted numerous altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
s that displayed both Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
and Flemish
Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting
Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting represents the 16th century response to Italian Renaissance art in the Low Countries. These artists, who span from the Antwerp Mannerists and Hieronymus Bosch at the start of the century to the late Northern Mannerists such as Hendrik Goltzius and Joachim...
influences. One of his pupils was Teramo Piaggio
Teramo Piaggio
Teramo Piaggio was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance, active in Genoa.He was born in Zoagli. He was the pupil of Ludovico Brea, and painted in collaboration with Andrea Semini.-References:...
.
His earliest definite work is the Mercy between Saint Martino and Catherine of Alexandria, painted for the monastery of Cimiez
Cimiez
Cimiez is a neighborhood in Nice, southern France. The area contains the Musée Matisse and the ruins of Cemenelum, capital of the Ancient Roman province Alpes Maritimae on the Ligurian coast...
, near Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, in 1475; recent historical searches have also suggested his having painted the Madonna of the Confraternity of the Misericordia at Nice in 1465. Other notable works by Brea can be found along all the coast from Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
to Mentone
Menton
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
, from Taggia
Taggia
Taggia is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 110 km southwest of Genoa and about 15 km west of Imperia. It has c...
to Imperia
Imperia
Imperia may be:* Imperia , an Italian city* Province of Imperia, the Italian province of the above city of Imperia* IMPERIA, a vodka produced by Russian Standard* Imperia , a statue in Constance, Germany...
(where the influence of the Lombardy painter Vincenzo Foppa
Vincenzo Foppa
Vincenzo Foppa was a Northern-Italian Renaissance painter.He was an elderly contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci. Born at Bagnolo Mella, near Brescia in the Republic of Venice, he settled in Pavia around 1456, serving the dukes of Milan and emerging as one of the most prominent Lombard painters....
can be seen, and during which time he was in the service of Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
), and from Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
to Genoa, where he was active from 1483, leaving his work to the Church of the Consolation.
In Liguria, Ludovico's siblings Peter and Antonio Brea also operated as painters, as did Antonio's son, Francisco Brea (of whom details are only known for the period from 1512 to 1555).
Notable works and their locations
- Piety (1475), Monastère de CimiezCimiezCimiez is a neighborhood in Nice, southern France. The area contains the Musée Matisse and the ruins of Cemenelum, capital of the Ancient Roman province Alpes Maritimae on the Ligurian coast...
- Crucifixion (1481), Gallery of the White Palace, Genoa
- Ascension (1483), Galleria Durazzo Giustiniani
- Madonna of Misericordia (Madonna of Mercy) (1483-84)
- PolyptychPolyptychA polyptych generally refers to a painting which is divided into sections, or panels. The terminology that follows is in relevance to the number of panels integrated into a particular piece of work: "diptych" describes a two-part work of art; "triptych" describes a three-part work; "tetraptych"...
of San Caterina (1488) and Baptism of Christ (1495), both at the DominicanDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
church and convent, TaggiaTaggiaTaggia is a comune in the Province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria, located about 110 km southwest of Genoa and about 15 km west of Imperia. It has c... - Piety, Monaco Cathedral
- MaestàMaestàMaestà, the Italian word for "majesty", designates an iconic formula of the enthroned Madonna with the child Jesus, whether or not accompanied with angels and saints...
, church of Arcs-Van - Altarpiece of SavonaSavonaSavona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
Cathedral (1490), in collaboration with Vincenzo FoppaVincenzo FoppaVincenzo Foppa was a Northern-Italian Renaissance painter.He was an elderly contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci. Born at Bagnolo Mella, near Brescia in the Republic of Venice, he settled in Pavia around 1456, serving the dukes of Milan and emerging as one of the most prominent Lombard painters.... - Altarpiece of Ognissanti (1512), San Maria di Castello, Genoa
- Polyptych of San Giorgio (1516), church of MontaltoMontalto-Town names:* Montalto delle Marche - Municipality in the province of Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy* Montalto Uffugo - Municipality in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy* Montalto Dora - Municipality in the province of Turin, Piedmont, Italy...