Angelo Giovanni known as Angeluccio
(Rome, 1620-1655)
Landscape with hunters
Oil on canvas, 82 x 65 cm
Bibliography:
Princely Hunts. Hunting art in the early modern age, exhibition catalog (Tivoli, Villa d'Este, May 17 - October 20, 2013), edited by F. Molinas, De Luca editori d'arte, pp. 128 - 129, fig. 38.
Life of Angelo Giovanni known as Angeluccio
He was born to a wealthy leather merchant and trained in the workshop of Cavalier d'Arpino and Giacomo Fiammingo (Jacob de Hase). Thanks to the latter, his art turned towards genre painting and, in particular, towards battle scenes, which earned him the nickname by which he is best known: Michelangelo of the Battles. From 1625, the explosion of the Bamboccianti phenomenon, led by the Fleming Pieter van Laer, attracted Cerquozzi, who rode the wave of market success of this popular version of Caravaggesque realism. He suffered the contrary opinions of critics who were particularly adverse to him even though he did not even have the merit, like Bamboccio, of having started the genre. From 1630 onwards, his economic problems disappeared thanks to a dense network of clients. In 1634 he became a member of the Academy of San Luca.
His masterpiece was The Revolt of Masaniello (1647-48, Galleria Spada), but in addition to battles, still lifes and genre paintings, he also created paintings with sacred subjects, such as The Prodigal Son and Adam, Eve and Abel (Galleria Barberini).
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