Gaetano Gandolfi

Gaetano Gandolfi (31 August 1734 – 20 June 1802) was an Italian painter, draughtsman and sculptor of the late Baroque period, mainly active in and around Bologna. He is known for his biblical, mythological and allegorical subjects, as well as his portraits and nudes. He was both a painter on canvas and a fresco painter. Gaetano and his older brother Ubaldo were among the leading artists in Italy during their lifetime. This reputation was earned by the excellent quality of their work, which lead to numerous major commissions from courts all over Europe.

Career Gaetano was born in San Matteo della Decima, near Bologna on an estate in the Po Valley that his father managed on behalf of a landowner. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Ubaldo, and enrolled at the Accademia Clementina in Bologna, where he won several prizes for portraiture and sculpture. The Gandolfi family produced a number of prominent artists, including Gaetano's older brother, Ubaldo and his sons Giovanni Battista and Ubaldo Lorenzo, as well as his own son Mauro and grandchildren Democrito (who was a pupil of Antonio Canova) and Clementina. The Gandolfi family are considered to be the last representatives of the grand manner of the Bolognese school of painting, which had established itself almost two centuries earlier with the group of painters trained by the Carracci.The Bolognese school of painting focused on realistic depictions of human anatomy and drawing from live models.

In his autobiography, Gaetano claimed Felice Torelli (1667–1748) as his master. Other sources mention Ercole Graziani the Younger (1688–1765) and Ercole Lelli. These masters instilled in Gaetano the importance of anatomical precision in his works.

Collections Today, Gaetano's work is held in the permanent collections of several museums worldwide, including the Cooper Hewitt, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Norton Museum of Art, the Snite Museum of Art, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, the British Museum, the LACMA, the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, the Toledo Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Clark Art Institute.

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