Bartolomeo Coriolano

Bartolommeo Coriolano (1599 - 1676) was an Italian engraver of the baroque during the Baroque period Many of Coriolano's works was formed by the painter Guido Reni and realized many of his prints according to the works of his master Although he did not innovate the technique of woodcutting, he was very successful, and was noticed by Pope Urban VII, who made him knight, as a Roman count

His father, Cristoforo Coriolano, and brother, Giovanni Battista Coriolano were also woodblock printers, although there is some doubt over the actual relationship between Cristoforo and Bartolommeo Coriolano Coriolano had a daughter, Teresa Maria Coriolano, who later became a painter and engraver

Coriolano trained under the painter Guido Reni and modeled many of his woodblock prints on the work of his teacher, as was common Coriolano was a traditional woodblock printer who followed the German style in printing He was successful and popular, though not an innovator in the technique of woodblock printing Eventually, he came to the attention of Pope Urban VII who granted Coriolano knighthood, as a "Roman count", and a pension Coriolano's works are the most celebrated of the works produced by the Coriolano family

Coriolano was born in Bologna in either 1590 or 1599, the son of Cristoforo Coriolano He, like his brother Giambattista (born 1595 or 1589) became wood engravers like their father Originally from Nuremberg, their father had moved to Venice and changed the family name to Lederer His father died at Venice in 1600 With such a distance between Coriolano's first work, 1627, and the death of his father, the relationship of father and son is questionable This is compounded by his father's career with Giorgio Vasari in 1568, making his father of a considerable age when Coriolano was born

He was first instructed by his father at the Academy of the Incamminati, of the Carracci, at Bologna He afterwards became a pupil of Reni, in whose studio he learned wood-engraving After the successful woodblock printer Andrea Andreani died, Coriolano took his place He worked at Bologna from 1630 to 1647, and was fond of developing the designs of Reni and Guercino

His success at imitating Reni brought him to the attention of Pope Urban VIII A set of his prints after Carracci, Reni, and others was dedicated to Urban VIII, and Coriolano provided the pope with a print of the Madonna; the pope granted him a salary and brought Coriolano into the Knighthood of Loreto (with the title Cavaliere di Loreto) During this time, he called himself Romanus Eques, "Roman knight", which refers to his knighthood Coriolano had a daughter, Theresa Maria Coriolano, who was also an engraver and painter

Works:
Coriolano's artistic works are the most celebrated works by the members of the Coriolano family, and his works date from 1627 to 1647 He, like his brother, was an Italian chiaroscurist that would use two blocks for their prints in a German manner His style was close to the German use of black for outlines and brown for the tints He usually made use of two blocks for his woodcuts; on one he cut the outline and the dark shadows, like the hatchings of a pen, and on the other block the demi-tinte, or "halftones" Coriolano's prints brought great recognition even though he contributed nothing new to the technique that he used

Many artists during Coriolano's time relied on aspects of Reni's works, his style or his actual designs, in producing their own work Coriolano, in particular, would base many of his woodcut designs on Reni's works An example of this is Coriolano's Salome with the Head of the Baptist (1631) His major works include St Jerome in Meditation Before a Crucifix, Herodias with the Head of the Baptist, and The Virgin, with the Infant Sleeping Other important works by Coriolano include The Fall of Giants (1638), a four sheet work that is 32 inches by 23 inches, The Four Sibyls, Peace and Abundance (1642), Jupiter Hurling Bolts at the Giants (1647) and The Seven Ages
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