Bernardo Cavallino

Bernardo Cavallino (1616 - 1656) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, working in Naples. little is known about his art formation, though some of his paintings appear surprisingly as works of the most expressive of his time.

Born in Naples, he is thought to have died during the plague epidemic in 1656. While his paintings are some of the more stunningly expressive works emerging from the Neapolitan artists of his day, little is known about the painter's background or training. Of eighty attributed paintings, less than ten are signed. He worked through private dealers and collectors whose records are no longer available.

It is said that he trained with Massimo Stanzione, befriended the painter Andrea Vaccaro, and was influenced by Anthony van Dyck, but his paintings could also be described as equidistant from Caravaggio and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in styles; tenebrism enveloped with a theatrical sweetness, a posed ecstasy and feeling characteristic of the high Roman baroque statuary. He is known to have worked in Neapolitan circles strongly influenced by Stanzione, which included Antonio de Bellis, Artemisia Gentileschi, Francesco Francanzano, Agostino Beltrano and Francesco Guarino.

About eighty paintings attributed to him, just over ten carry his signature; This is due to the fact that the artist worked hard with private buyers and collectors, which did not leave many traces of his business.

Certainly it is known that he was a student of Andrea Vaccaro, from whom he assimilated the colors of Argentine choreography by Massimo Stanzione, and suffered the artistic influence of Antoon van Dyck but his works can be defined as equidistant in stylistic terms, among those of Caravaggio And those of Federico Barocci, for the tenebrism with theatrical taste and similarities with certain features of Roman baroque sculpture.

In spite of all these influences, Cavallino remained an original and independent artistic personality characterized by a melancholy transfigurative capacity, with a strong luster flattened in golden chromaticities, with diagonal compositional cuts.

In a second artistic stage, Cavallino looked at Artemisia Gentileschi, in those active years in Naples, and suffered the fascination of Rubens's art. During this period, Caravaggesca influenced her by opting for a clearer color scheme and a more subtle, minute impression.

One of his masterpieces can certainly be considered the Immaculate Conception (1650), kept in the Brera Art Gallery, as well as the Estasi of Santa Cecilia (1645) of the Museum of Capodimonte, where also the sketch. Other famous paintings are St. Paul and the centurion and Moses saved from the waters preserved in Naples in Villa Pignatelli; The Return of the Prodigal Son and the Payment of Tribute, still in Capodimonte, the Massacre of the Innocents of Brera and the Adoration of the Pastors of the National Museum of Abruzzo .

Another beautiful proof of the Neapolitan artist is the Pietà kept in the Diocesan Museum of Molfetta.

Bernardo Cavallino died in Naples, probably in 1656, due to a plague epidemic. He is buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Naples.
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