Sebastiano
Ricci

Sebastiano Ricci was born in Belluno (baby baptism took place on 1 August 1659), the son of Adriana and Livio Ricci. In 1671 Ricci was sent to study in the Studio of Federico Silver, one of the lesser-known painters of Venice. Then mentors young apprentices became Venetian artists Sebastiano Mazzoni and Federigo, Cervelli. Sebastiano Ricci was one of the most outstanding Venetian artists of the 18th century, the ancestor of the Italian Rococo style, fun and decorative painting, which since the beginning of the 18th century, thanks to the creativity of Italian and French artists spread across Europe.

Son Adreani and Livio Ricci was born in Belluno, baptized on 1 August 1659. From 1671 he studied in Venice from little-known artists. According to one, was his teacher Sebastiano Mazzoni, on the other — Federico Cervelli (follower of Luca Giordano). In 1678, accused of attempted poisoning, women who became pregnant from him, Ricci was imprisoned. Released at the request of one of the members of the family Pisani. He later married the mother of your child.

After his release Richie went to Bologna, and his education continued under the leadership of Gian Giuseppe del sole, decorative artist's direction, who was under the influence of the manner of Veronese. By studying the Bolognese and Venetian schools, Ricci created his own unique style, which was characterized by bright colors, light colors, decorativeness of composition.

The meeting of Pope Paul III, king Francis I and Emperor Charles V

His customer was the Duke of Parma, Farnese Ranuccio II. In 1686 Richie has performed on his behalf "Lamentation of Christ" for the Church Nuovo, Capucino. In 1687 — 1688, he created a series of paintings with scenes from the life of Pope Paul III for the Duchess's Palace Farnese in Piacenza.

In 1688, Ricci, leaving his wife and daughter in Bologna, fled to Turin with the daughter of the painter Giovanni Francesco Peruzzini Magdalena. Ritchie was again imprisoned, he was threatened with the death penalty, but thanks to the Duke of Ranuccio he escaped punishment. He hired Richie as a court painter and lived in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. The artist commissioned by the Duke of copied (1692-1694) Vatican fresco of Raphael's "Coronation of Charlemagne" for king Louis XIV. The death of the Duke of Ranuccio in December 1694 forced the painter to leave Rome, he moved to Milan. Here until November 1695 was working on a painting of the chapel of the Church of San Bernardino dei morti. In Milan, Ricci became acquainted with the paintings of Alessandro magnasco. The tragic content of the work magnasco did not affect adherent bright and cheerful compositions, characterized biblical stories in a secular way, but Ricci took his expressive manner of performance, characteristic energetic brushstroke. In 1698, Ricci returned to Venice and from time to time leaves the territory of the Republic to fulfill another prestigious order. This period marked a serious crush Richie works of Veronese. Some of his works created in that time, I remind ambitious multi-figure compositions and shining painting of one of the major Venetian artists of the second half of the XVI century.

In the years 1706-1707 in Florence, Ricci was performed two major works: some researchers of creativity of the artist they considered the peak of his career. Ricci has created a large series of frescoes on mythological subjects and allegories in the Palazzo Marucelli-fenzi and worked together with the artist Giuseppe Tonelli on the decoration of the rooms of the Palazzo Pitti ("Venus and Adonis"). The frescoes in the Palazzo Pitti in comparison with the previous works of Richard are more bright color and luminosity. This work brought Richie European glory.

In 1712, Sebastiano Ricci, along with his nephew and pupil Marco arrives in London. Together they created a series of eight paintings on mythological stories for Lord Burlington. By order of the Earl of Portland, Ricci painted the chapel of the Duke of Chandos in the Palace Cannons (this work has not survived). After staying in England for four years, Richard moved to Paris.

18 may 1718 for his work "the Triumph of Wisdom over Ignorance" by Sebastiano Ricci was admitted to the Royal Academy of painting and sculpture.