Giovan Battista Moroni

Book excerpt: Acclaimed by some as one of the best portraitists of all time, Italian painter Giovan Battista Moroni (1522-1579) created penetrating images of the aristoc-racy of Bergamo, in which the sitters often gaze at the spectator with an unflinching directness. Admired in Italy since the 16th century, when Titian is said to have praised his portraits, Moroni did not achieve an international reputation until the 19th century and remains relatively little known. This handsome catalog encompasses Moroni's entire career. It includes portraits of all formats and styles, demonstrating not just Moroni's brilliance at capturing the elegance of his sitters and the fashions of the time, but also his realistic representation of Bergamo's society, which became a model for Caravaggio. The volume also includes Moroni's religious paintings, which also incorporate highly accomplished likenesses of their patrons, once again showing the striking psychological insight for which Moroni is acclaimed. Arturo Galansino, curator at the Royal Academy of Arts, has also curated exhibitions for the Louvre and the National Gallery, London. Simone Facchinetti is curator at the Museo Diocesano in Bergamo.