Francesco Coghetti

Francesco Coghetti (Jul 12, 1801 - 1875) was an Italian painter. He was instructed in painting by Diotti di Casalmaggiore in the Accademia Carrara of Bergamo. He went afterwards to Rome, where he became a disciple of Camuccini, and studied the works of Raphael. He is sometimes confused with his contemporary, and sometimes collaboratoring painter, Luigi Cochetti. He presided for many years over the Academy of San Luca at Rome, and was the representative of classic art in the early part of the 19th century.

It was born at the beginning of the nineteenth century in Bergamo, precisely in the parish of San Pancrazio, located in the High City, Giuseppe and Caterina Balbi, belonging to a well-being family. This temperate condition led him to undertake studies at prestigious schools, first in Clusone, then at the Carrara Academy, located in the orobic capital, where he followed painting courses aimed at improving his innate abilities.

Here was followed by the master Giuseppe Diotti and he had as a companion of studies Giovanni Carnovali, called Piccio, with whom he established a relationship of friendship and mutual esteem. During the second year of studies, in 1818, he won the drawing contest nominated by the academy, on the same basis with his friend Carnovali.

In 1820, at the end of his studies, he moved to Milan where he succeeded in distinguishing himself by winning the next year a prize for design and figure nominated by the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. These awards led him to seek continuous improvements, so that at the end of the year he decided to go to Rome, where thanks to the generous grants of his father and accompanied by the prestige earned from the awards previously received, he attended the study of Master Vincenzo Camuccini.

His Roman residence was also helped by his friendship with the Angelo Mai, cardinal at the papal headquarters, who was an influential protector of the young painter, who returned him by performing a portrait sent to Schilpario, the country of origin of the prelate.

In 1825 Francesco Coghetti conjured up a wedding with Giacinta Martinozzi, whose bond was later Caesar and Judith.

In the meantime numerous orders began to come, even from his native land, which greatly increased his fame. One of these works, "Santa Aldeida in the act of receiving the crown of immortality" also won a medal at the National Exhibition of Florence. The peak of its production coincided with the forties and fifties of the nineteenth century, with periods of intense artistic fervor accompanied by an ever-increasing number of commissions coming from all over Italy and Europe to guarantee 'Appellative of' most distinguished Italian living painter '.

In 1844 he was offered the direction of the Painting Academy of Mexico City, a bid offered by Coghetti.

In 1858 he was commissioned to administer the painting chair as well as the chairmanship of the Accademia di San Luca, which the painter could not give up.

However, since the second half of the sixth decade, his fame began to be questioned by some works considered not to be his capacity to be at the center of some controversy often fueled by envy and different political positions Greater current of thought. It was in fact the times when the Pontifical State was about to be annexed to the Kingdom of Italy, and the Coghetti played a prominent role in the Academy of Saint Luke, considered the greatest expression of the Pope's temporal power.

There were numerous dismissals of commissions, accompanied by suspension from the role of teacher and president of the Academy of San Luca in 1873, in the meantime became Accademia Regia.

Relegated to the margins of the artistic life of the Italian capital, he died in 1875 because of an apoplectic attack.

Works:
Coghetti distinguished himself from the early works for his style characterized by a high classical eloquence, as well as virtuosity in baroque environments, but also by the harmonious handling of colors and by a natural representation of the expressions of painted faces. There were numerous portraits performed for the aristocracy of time, but above all the paintings depicting scenes from the old and new testament. Its main works, chronologically ordered, were:

"Presentation of Jesus to the Temple" (1825), Parish Church of Almenno San Bartolomeo (Bergamo)
"S. Aldeida in the act of receiving the crown of immortality" (1828), Sacristy of the Cathedral of Bergamo
"Assunta" (1831) Parish Church of Calcinate (Bergamo)
"Portrait of Cardinal Cesare Nembrini" (1831)
"Prophets, Angels and Saints Patrons of Bergamo" (1832), Sacristy of the Cathedral of Bergamo
"Portrait of Gaetano Donizetti" (1832)
"Frescoes of the First Dome" (1833), Cathedral of Bergamo
"Portrait of Monsignor Carlo Gritti Morlacchi", Sacristy of the Cathedral of Bergamo.
"Frescoes of Alexander the Great and allegorical figures" (1837), Villa Torlonia (via Nomentana, Rome)
"Frescoes of Prometheus" (1838), Teatro di Tordinona
"Frescoes of Hercules" (1839), Villa Torlonia (Piazza Venezia, Rome)
"Stories of Grace and the Promessi Sposi" (1841), Palazzo Torlonia (Rome)
"Bas-relief Decoration" (1842), Casino of Castel Gandolfo (Rome)
"Portrait of John Presti" (1843)
"Wedding of Love and Psyche" (1844)
"Ascension of Christ" (1847), Duomo di Porto Maurizio (Imperia, built in the then new church of Porto Maurizio, where the artist was also called for the intervention of his former student Leonardo Massabò)
"Assunta" (1847), Cathedral of Savona
"Stories of the Virgin" (1847), Cathedral of Savona
"Christ drives the merchants out of the temple", Duomo di Savona
"Apotheosis of St. Ambrose" (1849), parish church of Legino (Savona)
"Madonna with Child" (1849), parish church of Legino (Savona)
"Flood Scenes" (1850), Museo de San Carlos (Mexico City)
"Assunta", Villa Scotti, Oreno Brianza (Monza)
"St. Stephen in front of the Sanhedrin" (1853), St. Paul's Basilica outside the Walls of Rome
"The Killing of Galeazzo M. Sforza in S. Stefano in Milan" (1853)
Self-portrait (1854)
"Martyrdom of St. Lawrence" (1855) St. Paul's Basilica Outside the Walls (Rome)
"Madonna with Child" (1856) Parish of Orvinio (Rieti)
"San Giuseppe" (1856), Parish of Oreno Brianza (Monza)
"San Carlo Borromeo" (1856)
"Martyrdom of St. Felicita and its Seven Children" (1857), Parish Church of Ranica (Bergamo)
"Caesar at the Passage of Rubicone" (1857), Sipario of the Teatro Comunale di Rimini (project by Luigi Poletti)
"Apotheosis of S. Agostino" (1858), Duomo of Porto Maurizio (Imperia)
"Frescoes of San Biagio, Sant'Anna, Saints Peter and Paul" (1859), Church of the SS. Carlo and Biagio to Catinari (Rome)
"San Paolo Abducted to the Third Sky" (1860)
"Baptism of SS Procolo and Martyrian celebrated by SS: Peter and Paul in the Mamertino Prison" (1860), St. Paul's Basilica outside the Walls (Rome)
"The defeat of Annibale" (1861), historical curtain of the New Theater Gian Carlo Menotti of Spoleto, now (April 2017) in restoration
"Transit of the Virgin" (1862), Cathedral of Piacenza
"Immaculate" (1862), Church of the SS. Apostles (Rome)
"Evangelists" (1862), Church of the SS. Apostles (Rome)
"St. Joseph with the Child" (1862), Parish Church of Gazzaniga (Bergamo)
"Sacred Themes" (1862), Portugal
"Allegory of the Battle of Tscheme" (1863)
"Madonna del Carmelo" (1866), Duomo of Porto Maurizio (Imperia)
"Self-portrait" (1868)
"Martyrdom of the SS Fermo and Rustico" (1868), Parish Church of Adrara San Martino (Bg);
"Frescoes with Stories of St. Paul of the Cross" (1870), Church of the SS. John and Paul at Monte Celio (Rome)
"Assumption" (1870), Cathedral of Santiago de Chile (Chile)
"Portrait of Gallarini" (1870)
"St. Mary of Grace, the Eternal Father, St. Egidio and other Saints", (1872) Church of Linguaglossa (Catania)
"Gross show to the people the corpse of Lucrezia", ​​Civic Museum of Treviso
"Pope Eugene III Blessed Amedeo III of Savoy", Ducal Castle of Agliè (Turin)
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