On this Date in History, October 4: Birth of Cranach, Piranesi, Millet and Remington

What happened on this date in art history?  

Interior of the Pantheon (commonly called the Rotunda)
from Vedute di Roma (Views of Rome), Giovanni Battista Piranesi, 1768

October 4 is the birthday of four different artists from the 16th to the 19th century: Lucas Cranach the Younger, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Jean-François Millet and Frederic Remington.

Portrait of the Artist's Father, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Lucas Cranach the Younger, 1550

Lucas Cranach the Younger (October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German artist, whose father was the well known and prolific Lucas Cranach the Elder (pictured above in a portrait by his son).  Cranach the Younger trained with his father and was a successful artist in his own right, producing dozens of paintings and woodcuts.  He found success with secular themes right after the Protestant Reformation.

The Gothic Arch, Etching from the series: The Imaginary Prisons, c-1750

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (October 4, 1720 – November 9, 1778) was an Italian artist best known for his hundreds of etchings including views of Rome, Pompeii and his series on "Le Carceri d'Invenzione" or The Imaginary Prisons.  Piranesi was born and raised in the Veneto region of Italy, where he trained in both architecture and stage design for theater and opera. 

However he later moved to Rome and he spent most of his life in Rome which gave him the inspiration for his art.

The Gleaners, Jean François Millet, the Louvre, 1857

Jean-François Millet (October 4, 1814 – January 20, 1875) grew up on a modest farm in Normandy.  He was educated in both art and literature and move tod Paris in 1837 to further his studies in art at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.  Instead he joined the studio of a minor master painter, Paul Delaroche. 

Millet's talent as a painter was evident and he started receiving critical acclaim in the early 1840's. Millet moved to Barbizon in 1849 and remained there for the rest of his life.  He is perhaps best known for he work “The Gleaners”, as an artist Millet wanted to paint farmers and peasants performing their daily tasks of work, which was a big change from the popular history and mythology paintings popular at that time.  

The End of the Day, Frederic Remington (1861-1909)

Frederic Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American artist best known for his drawings, paintings and sculptures of the American West.  He studied art both at Yale University and the Art Students League in New York City.  He traveled to Montana and Kansas, where he had a studio for a while.  He returned to New York where he worked as a writer and artist.  During his life his work was published in over 40 magazines and newspapers.

On a note other than art history, October 4, 1582 was the last day before the new "Gregorian Calendar" that is still in use today was implemented.  Pope Gregory XIII worked to reform the former calendar by correcting some miscalculations.  In the year 1582, October 4 was followed by October 15, the first day in the new calendar.

Giovanna Garzoni

Giovanna Garzoni, 1600-1670, was a successful and talented Italian Baroque painter who traveled around Europe and worked for the Medici family for a decade.  She was best known for both her miniature portraits and her botanical paintings.

Chinese Porcelain Plate with Cherries, Giovanna Garzoni, c- 1651-62

Garzoni was born in Ascoli Piceno (in the Marche region) in 1600 to Venetian parents. While she was still young the family moved to Rome where she was raised.  Garzoni was the daughter of painter Nunzio Garzoni, who worked as a miniaturist and also the niece of painter Pietro Gaia. It is thought she studied painting under them.  As a young woman she moved to Venice with her brother where she studied calligraphy and received several important painting commissions for religious altarpieces.

Not much is known about her early life, she may have been married while young and a short time later had the marriage annulled.  She traveled and worked in several major Italian cities such as Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome.

After her time in Venice Garzoni briefly moved to Naples and while there worked for the Viceroy, which attracted the attention of the Duchess of Savoy, Christine Marie of France (shown below).



Christine Marie of France, Duchess of Savoy, wife of Vittorio Amedeo I,
Giovanna Garzoni, 1635, miniature painting, Uffizi Gallery, Florence,

 Among Garzoni's best known works were her miniature portraits, done while she was working for Victor Amadeus I, the Duke of Savoy.  The Duchess of Savoy, Christine Marie of France (1606–1663), (pictured) was one of the daughters of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici.   Following her husbands death, Duchess Christine Marie served as regent of the Duchy from 1637 to 1663.

Portrait of Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (1587-1637), Giovanna Garzoni, 1635,
miniature portrait, Uffizi Gallery, Florence

As the Duchess was part of the Medici family, Giovanna was introduced to them through her, they were impressed by her skill as a painter and she traveled back an forth between the Medici courts in Rome and Florence working from them.  During this time Garzoni mainly painted botanical subject matter for which she is now best known.

 

Still Life with a Bowl of Citrons, Giovanna Garzoni, late 1640's, tempera on vellum, Getty Museum

The Medici Court in Florence had a tradition of commissioning botanical paintings. In addition to Garzoni Florentine painters Jacopo Ligozzi (1541-1587) and Bartolomeo Bimbi (1648-1729) also painted hundreds of botanical and still-life paintings for the family. In the 16th and 17th century the Medici were quite interested in plants and the natural world, and their love of botanical paintings stemmed from that.

While Garzoni may have been influenced by the paintings of Ligozzi during her time in Florence, she had been commissioned to paint a herbarium in Rome as a teenager and therefore had previous experience painting botanicals.

Figs, Bartolomeo Bimbi, 1696, oil on canvas (116 x 155 cm) Villa Medicea (Poggio a Caiano)

Based on his work and subject matter and the fact that he would have been exposed to her work, it appears that Bartolomeo Bimbi was influenced by the work of Garzoni.  Compare their two versions of paintings of figs.

Figs, Giovanna Garzoni, 1650's, watercolor on parchment,
Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence, 9.65 " x 13.5 " (245 x 345 mm)

Giovanna Garzoni's very detailed, carefully rendered and exquisitely painted botanical works were praised and sought after.  She spent at least a decade working on these at the Medici courts.  During this time she painted a wide variety of plants, fruit and vegetables, birds and insects.

China Bowl with Figs, a Bird, and Cherries, Giovanna Garzoni, 1650's, watercolor on parchment, 

Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Florence, 10.2" x 14.9" (260 x 380 mm)

Giovanna Garzoni was one of the most successful women painters in the 17th century. Her patrons included several Dukes of Savoy (Turin), the Medici Family (Florence and Rome) and the Colonna family (Rome).  The 17th century artist, art historian and author Carlo Ridolfi included her in his "Le Maraviglie dell'Arte" which was his comprehensive volume on artists and their are, and her botanical paintings continue to influence artists centuries after her lifetime.