Le Triomphe de Silène by Mattia Preti
Game of Backgammon by Mattia Preti
The Concert by Mattia Preti
The Concert by Mattia Preti
The Game of Draughts by Mattia Preti
Tribute Money by Mattia Preti
Diogenes with a lantern by Mattia Preti
Death of Sophonisbe by Mattia Preti
Sainte Marie Madeleine by Mattia Preti
The crucifixion of St Andrew by Mattia Preti
Clorinda rescues Olindo and Sophronia by Mattia Preti
Portrait of a Knight in Armour by Mattia Preti

Where to See Mattia Preti

45 museums worldwide

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About Mattia Preti

1613–1699

painting plague frescoes on the gates of Naples, then the ceiling of Valletta's Co-Cathedral as a Knight of Saint John

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Portrait of Mattia Preti
Museums45
Countries15
Most worksMuseo di Capodimonte, Palace of Capodimonte · 6 works
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Where to see Mattia Preti

Ranked by works you can see in person.

Mattia Preti prints

Hand-finished archival prints from Mattia Preti's body of work.

The Liberation of Saint Peter - Mattia Preti - Poster The Liberation of Saint Peter - Mattia Preti From £28.00 A Mother Entrusting Her Sons to Christ - Mattia Preti - Poster A Mother Entrusting Her Sons to Christ - Mattia Preti From £28.00 Christ in Glory - Mattia Preti - Poster Christ in Glory - Mattia Preti From £37.00 Christ in the House of Simon - Mattia Preti - Poster Christ in the House of Simon - Mattia Preti From £28.00 Erminia, Princess of Antiochia - Mattia Preti - Poster Erminia, Princess of Antiochia - Mattia Preti From £28.00 The Roman Empress Faustina Visiting Saint Catherine of Alexandria in Prison - Mattia Preti - Poster The Roman Empress Faustina Visiting Saint Catherine of Alexandria in Prison - Mattia Preti From £28.00 Diogenes with his Lantern, in search of an Honest Man - Mattia Preti - Poster Diogenes with his Lantern, in search of an Honest Man - Mattia Preti From £28.00 Adoration of the Shepherds - Mattia Preti - Poster Adoration of the Shepherds - Mattia Preti From £28.00

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where can I see Mattia Preti's work?
    Paintings by Mattia Preti are held in collections across Europe. The Galleria dell’ Accademia Carrara in Bergamo holds his Still Life with Musical Instruments (circa 1650). The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna possesses The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1666). Other artists' works are held in museums such as the Musée Fesch, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham. Additional museums include the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Caen, the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, and the Musée Condé. Further afield, one may find works at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad. British collections include the Dulwich College Picture Gallery and the National Gallery.
  • What should I know about Mattia Preti's prints?
    Mattia Preti (1613-1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who spent much of his career in Naples and Malta. While he is known primarily as a painter, some prints were made after his compositions. These prints reproduce his paintings and extend their availability to a wider audience. Preti's paintings often show a strong use of light and shadow (chiaroscuro), a technique he adopted from early Guercino. His theatrical style was well suited to the artistic tastes prevalent in Naples and Sicily during his lifetime. Preti's prints, like those of other Baroque-era painters, provide insight into the artistic interests and collecting habits of the period. Although Preti's work was not always well known outside specialist circles, interest in his paintings grew in the later 20th century. Prints offer another way to appreciate his artistic output.
  • Why are Mattia Preti's works important today?
    Mattia Preti (1613-1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who spent much of his career in Malta. While contemporaries admired Titian's portraits for their nobility, power, and dignity, Preti's work also holds significance. Titian's portraits, a staple of his workshop, had a monumental influence on the conception and depiction of power and privilege for centuries. His technical and formal uses of the medium established the fundamental conventions for painting in oil right up to the present day. This is why when Titian's great followers, such as Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt, came into contact with his portraits, they were inspired by what they saw. Titian defined the art of oil painting. His religious, mythological narratives, and portraits are turning points in art history. His influence redirected Venetian painting and, through his work, had a major effect on European art for centuries. He reconfigured the altarpiece using space and form to make it more expressive and dynamic.
  • Who is Mattia Preti?
    Mattia Preti, also known as "Il Cavalier Calabrese", was born in Taverna, Calabria, in 1613. He was a painter who moved to Rome in 1630 and later became a Knight of the Order of Saint John in 1660.
  • What techniques or materials did Mattia Preti use?
    Mattia Preti's painting methods involved the use of oil-based binders, particularly linseed oil. Analysis of paintings from the 16th century reveals the prevalence of oil techniques, with linseed oil favoured over walnut oil. The process of identifying these binders involves analysing the fatty acid composition in paint fragments through gas chromatography. High levels of azelaic acid indicate drying oil, while lesser amounts suggest egg-based binders. Pyrolysis gas chromatography is employed, heating paint samples to induce separation of organic substances. The resulting chromatogram is compared with known paint mediums. Micro-analytical tests, including solubility differentials and microscopic examination under ultraviolet radiation, further analyse paint layers. Examination of cross-sections shows that most of the paint was thinly applied.
  • Who did Mattia Preti influence?
    Mattia Preti's artistic impact is complex. While no single artist can be said to have directly imitated him, his work contributed to the broader development of the Baroque style, and echoes of his approach can be found in later artists. Titian, active a century before Preti, exerted a considerable influence on artists. Annibale Carracci, for example, absorbed aspects of Titian's style, such as atmospheric settings and figure types. Carracci's work, in turn, helped initiate the Baroque style in Rome. Similarly, both Tintoretto and Veronese were indebted to Titian, though they interpreted his work differently. Tintoretto amplified the drama he found in Titian, while Veronese focused on compositional elements and colour. Their paintings served as avenues of approach to Titian for later generations. Caravaggio's dramatic realism influenced artists, including Hendrick ter Brugghen, Gerrit van Honthorst, and Rembrandt van Rijn, as well as Simon Vouet, and Diego Velázquez. His paintings' ambiguities have been seen as influential on modern art.
  • Who influenced Mattia Preti?
    Mattia Preti, a painter of the Italian Baroque, absorbed a range of influences from earlier artists. Venetian painting, particularly the work of Titian, played a significant role in his artistic development. During the 16th century, a number of artists from the Venice region rose to prominence. These artists, including Annibale Carracci, were indebted to Titian and his followers. Carracci, who helped initiate the Baroque style, was conversant with art in Venice. His "Venus Adorned by the Graces" displays stylistic elements derived from Titian, such as the atmospheric setting, corpulent figures, facial types, and feathery, suggestive handling of the background. The theory of artistic imitation involved a process of copying, variation, and surpassing the model. Artists selected exemplary figures for guidance, and their adaptations served as both homage and a display of their own skill.
  • What is Mattia Preti's most famous work?
    It is difficult to name a single most famous work by Mattia Preti. He produced many paintings, and his artistic output varied over the course of his career. He is known for paintings such as The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1666). This oil on canvas measures 419cm x 283cm and is located in the Kunscthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Preti also painted San Girolamo Scrivente (1607), Ritratto di Wignacourt con paggio (1608), and Decollazione del Battista (1608). San Girolamo Scrivente is an oil on canvas, measuring 117cm x 157cm, and can be found at the Museum of the Co-cathedral of St John, Valletta. Ritratto di Wignacourt con paggio is an oil on canvas, measuring 195cm x 134cm, and is located in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Decollazione del Battista is an oil on canvas, measuring 361cm x 520cm, and is located at the Co-cathedral of St John, Oratory, Valletta.

Sources

Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Mattia Preti's works across the following collections.

  1. [1] museum Royal Castle in Warsaw Used for: museum holdings.
  2. [2] museum Musée Granet Used for: museum holdings.
  3. [3] museum Art Gallery of South Australia Used for: museum holdings.
  4. [4] museum Musei di Strada Nuova Used for: museum holdings.
  5. [5] book Zuffi, Stefano, 1961-, Baroque painting : two centuries of masterpieces from the era preceding the dawn modern art Used for: biography.
  6. [6] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
  7. [7] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.

Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-06-28. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.

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