NAZARI, Bartolomeo - b. 1699 Clusone, d. 1758 Milano - WGA

NAZARI, Bartolomeo

(b. 1699 Clusone, d. 1758 Milano)

Italian painter of the late-Baroque, mainly active in Venice as a portraitist. By 1716, he had become an apprentice under Angelo Trevisani, but visited in 1723 the Roman studio of Angelo’s brother, the Venetian Francesco Trevisani, and then also studied with Benedetto Luti. Nazari likely knew personally Fra Galgario, the renown portraitist from Bergamo, and is described by some as a pupil.

He returns to Venice in 1724, and is registered with the Fraglia dei Pittori by 1726. In 1744, he traveled to Frankfurt to paint the emperor Charles VII and his family and other members of the court. In 1756, he was inducted into the newly founded Accademia of Venice. His son Nazario Nazari was also a painter. Among his patrons was Consul Joseph Smith and the former general Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg (who owned over eight diverse portrait paintings). He painted the portraits of a number of operatic singers including Farinelli. He died returning from Genoa, where he had painted the Doge.

An Old Man
An Old Man by

An Old Man

Nazari was regarded as one of the best portrait painters of his day. An Old Man and its companion piece, An Old Woman have all the features of Nazari’s character studies. They display his impressively exact painting style, with finely blended brushstrokes, and the use of pronounced chiaroscuro to lend the portrayed figures psychological depth. Despite the considerable detail of the robes, these works are unlikely to be genuine portraits and instead should be located within the character study tradition.

An Old Woman
An Old Woman by

An Old Woman

Nazari was regarded as one of the best portrait painters of his day. An Old Man and its companion piece, An Old Woman have all the features of Nazari’s character studies. They display his impressively exact painting style, with finely blended brushstrokes, and the use of pronounced chiaroscuro to lend the portrayed figures psychological depth. Despite the considerable detail of the robes, these works are unlikely to be genuine portraits and instead should be located within the character study tradition.

Portrait of Doge Vincenzo Querini
Portrait of Doge Vincenzo Querini by

Portrait of Doge Vincenzo Querini

The painting is displayed together with other portraits of the magistrates in the Sale della Magistrature of the Museo Correr. The Procurators can be recognised by the velvet stole covering their shoulders.

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