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  Art Institute of Chicago

  Chicago, United States

  6 works

  

  Museum detailsMap
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  Musée Magnin

  Hôtel Lantin (Dijon), France

  1 works

  Museum detailsMap

Plan your visit to see Sebastiano Ricci →

• What is Sebastiano Ricci known for?+

  Sebastiano Ricci is known for his decorative painting, particularly his ceiling frescoes. His work introduced Venetian Baroque decoration to British interiors during his time in England from 1711 to 1716. He was one of the most internationally sought-after decorative painters in Europe.
• What is Sebastiano Ricci's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name one single work as Sebastiano Ricci's most famous. He completed a number of large-scale commissions, many of which are well-known. Ricci received considerable patronage, and he completed paintings on varied sacred and secular themes. His paintings on religious subjects include many versions of *The Holy Family*, such as *The Holy Family in Egypt*, *The Holy Family with St. John*, and *The Holy Family with Six Putti*. Other religious paintings include *St. John Baptizing the People*, *St. Peter and St. John Healing the Lame Man*, and *The Virgin Appearing to St. James*. Ricci also painted mythological subjects, such as *Rinaldo and Armida* and *The Rape of Europa*.
• What should I know about Sebastiano Ricci's prints?+

  Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period, active in Venice and abroad. While he is best known for large-scale history paintings and altarpieces, his painted compositions also circulated as prints. Ricci did not produce his own prints. Printmakers reproduced his designs, often some time after the paintings were completed. These prints after Ricci allowed his pictorial ideas to reach a wider audience. Many of the prints after Ricci are reproductive engravings. These were often commissioned by collectors or patrons who wished to have a record of a painting. Some were made as illustrations for books. Printmakers who engraved after Ricci include Giovanni Cattini, Charles Simonneau, and Claude Du Bosc. These prints are often line engravings, a technique that allowed for detailed reproduction of the original paintings. Subjects range from religious scenes to mythological subjects, reflecting the scope of Ricci's painted work. Collectors can find examples in major museum print rooms.
• What style or movement did Sebastiano Ricci belong to?+

  Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period, specifically the Venetian School. He is known for his decorative allegorical and mythological paintings, often executed on a large scale for palaces and churches. Ricci's style is characterised by its light, airy colour palette and fluid brushwork. His figures are graceful and elegant, often posed in dynamic, theatrical arrangements. He drew inspiration from earlier Venetian masters, such as Veronese, but developed his own distinctive approach. Ricci's career took him throughout Europe. He worked in England, where he decorated Burlington House and painted altarpieces such as the *Resurrection* (1716) for the Chelsea Hospital Chapel. He also spent time in France and Germany, further disseminating the Venetian Baroque style. His nephew, Marco Ricci, was also a painter, and the two often collaborated. Sebastiano's work had a significant impact on the development of Rococo painting, particularly in its emphasis on lightness, colour, and decorative effect.
• What techniques or materials did Sebastiano Ricci use?+

  Sebastiano Ricci, working in Venice and later across Europe, employed techniques that built on the Venetian tradition of colourito. Venetian artists united oil and canvas around 1500. This combination allowed them to exploit the rough surface of the cloth with thin gesso priming. Paint stroked over the woven support left a broken mark, lending a new quality to the surface. Forms were created through caressing strokes of colour rather than taut contours. Thick applications of paint allowed brushstrokes to possess direction and energy. Earlier, 15th-century painters used tempera, made with egg yolk. Tempera dries quickly and needs to be built up in many thin layers, precluding thick or expressive brushstrokes. Oil paint could be blended and mixed to create effects from thick, opaque textures (called impasto) to thin, translucent glazes. This offered new possibilities of intense colours, shading, and detail. Painters could depict light with new mastery.
• What was Sebastiano Ricci known for?+

  Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period, celebrated for his decorative allegorical and mythological paintings. Born in Belluno, he trained in Venice. He is considered an important figure in the Venetian school, known for his graceful figures and luminous colours. Ricci's career took him across Europe. He worked in various cities, including Milan, Florence, Rome, and London. His travels exposed him to diverse artistic styles, which influenced his work. In England, he decorated Burlington House and painted altarpieces, contributing to the development of history painting there. His notable commissions include frescoes in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. These works demonstrate his skill in creating large-scale decorative schemes. Ricci's style blended Venetian colourism with elements of Roman classicism, resulting in a distinctive aesthetic. He often collaborated with his nephew, Marco Ricci, who specialised in scenery. Sebastiano Ricci's paintings are held in major museum collections worldwide.
• When did Sebastiano Ricci live and work?+

  Sebastiano Ricci was born in Belluno in 1659 and died in Venice in 1734. An innovative artist and traveller, Ricci was important to the new direction European painting took at the start of the 18th century. He chose to abandon the strong contrasts of light and shade, the sombre hues, and dramatic violence that predominated 17th-century painting. Instead, he returned to the bright, luminous, colourful style of the Venetian Renaissance, drawing inspiration from Paolo Veronese. After training in the Veneto, Ricci travelled, first to Emilia, where he encountered the work of the Carracci family, which led to an admiration for Correggio's perspectives. He then worked in Rome, Milan, Florence, and Parma. His style became more firmly established during this period. Ricci also journeyed to Vienna. In 1711, he moved to London for five years, producing easel paintings and decorative compositions. Having become well-known across Europe, he returned to Venice in 1716.
• Where can I see Sebastiano Ricci's work?+

  Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) was a Venetian painter of the late Baroque period. His paintings can be found in numerous collections, both public and private. In Venice, his work is represented in the Ca' Rezzonico, a museum devoted to 18th-century Venice. The Gallerie dell'Accademia, also in Venice, holds other examples of his paintings. Outside Italy, many museums include paintings by Ricci. The Royal Collection in the United Kingdom has several works, as does the National Gallery in London. Examples of his paintings are also in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. These collections provide opportunities to view the scope of Ricci's artistic output, from altarpieces to mythological scenes. Ricci's nephew, Marco Ricci, was also a painter; some collections may include works by both artists, so check catalogue information carefully.
• Where was Sebastiano Ricci from?+

  Sebastiano Ricci was from the Veneto region of Italy. More specifically, he was born in Belluno in 1659. He died in Venice in 1734. Ricci's initial training occurred in the Veneto. Later, he travelled extensively. His travels took him to Emilia, where he saw work by the Carracci family. This led to an admiration for Correggio's perspective techniques. He also worked in Rome, Milan, Florence and Parma. His style became more firmly established during this period. His nephew Marco Ricci, a painter of views, often accompanied him. Sebastiano painted on a large scale, creating dynamic scenes with light colours and foreshortening. Frescoes he created in Florence show the influence of Luca Giordano. After a journey to Vienna, Ricci returned to Venice. His altarpieces for local churches marked a turning point for Venetian painting. Venetian painters abandoned the "shadows" of the seventeenth century.
• Who did Sebastiano Ricci influence?+

  Sebastiano Ricci's artistic lineage connects him to a long line of Venetian painters, and his work, in turn, affected later artists. Venetian painting provided a base for Baroque artists in Rome. In the 17th century, Venetian art inspired Caravaggio, the Carracci family, and artists outside Italy. Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Velázquez studied Venetian paintings, adopting elements of their style and subject interpretation. Admiration for Venetian artists continued into the 18th century. French painters such as Boucher, Watteau, and Fragonard reflected Venetian influence in their mythological scenes and portraits. Many European artists travelled to Italy to study Venetian works, often familiarising themselves with them through engravings and copies. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, the last great representative of the Venetian school, demonstrates a knowledge of 16th-century Venetian painting. His paintings share characteristics with Titian and his followers, such as the arrangement of forms, brilliant colour, and treatment of subjects.
• Who influenced Sebastiano Ricci?+

  Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) was an innovative artist who moved European painting away from the dramatic violence, sombre hues, and strong contrasts of light and shade that predominated the seventeenth century. Instead, he returned to the bright colours, luminous qualities, and imaginative compositions of the Venetian Renaissance. Paolo Veronese's opulent scenes were a particular inspiration. Ricci's early training occurred in the Veneto region. His travels then took him to Emilia, where he saw the work of the Carracci family; this led to an admiration for Correggio's perspective. Florence's frescoes reveal the impact of Luca Giordano. Later, after a journey to Vienna, Ricci returned to Venice. His initial altarpieces for local churches marked a turning point for the Venetian school; Venetian painters abandoned the shadows of the seventeenth century for the brighter tones of the eighteenth century. During a stay in London, he produced decorative compositions and easel paintings. While in Paris, he became an honorary member of the Académie Royale. Some of his works show the influence of Johann Liss and Titian.
• Who was Sebastiano Ricci?+

  Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734) was an innovative Venetian painter, important to European painting at the start of the eighteenth century. He moved away from the dramatic shadows of the seventeenth century. Instead, he looked back to the bright colours of the Venetian Renaissance, drawing inspiration from Paolo Veronese. Ricci travelled extensively. Early in his career, he encountered work by the Carracci family, which led to an admiration for Correggio. He worked in Rome, Milan, and Florence. His style became more original during this period. His nephew, Marco Ricci, a painter of views, often accompanied him. Sebastiano painted on a grand scale, using light colours and foreshortening. After a journey to Vienna, he returned to Venice. His altarpieces marked a turning point for Venetian painting. In 1711, he moved to London for five years, producing paintings and decorative works. After becoming a public figure, he returned to Venice in 1716. Examples of his work include *St Peter Freed from Prison* and the ceiling of San Marziale.