Francisque Duret (1804-1865) | Academic sculptor

Francisque Joseph Duret was a French sculptor🎨, son and pupil of François-Joseph Duret (1732-1816).

Before becoming a sculptor, Francisque Duret had shown interest in pursuing a career in theater.

He studied for a brief time at the Conservatoire and his friend Charles Blanc (1813-1882), in an article which he dedicated in 1866, attested to the quality of observing human behavior which Duret had acquired outside his studies of drama: "His continual studies of the pantomime led him to pin down the language of gesture and the meaning of each disposition".

Ludwig van Beethoven: Plaudite amici, comedia finita est..

Beethoven - Andy Warhol 1928-1987

L'Arte! Chi la può comprendere? A chi si può rivolgere una persona per attirare l'attenzione di questa grande Dea...

Beethoven

- Ludwig van Beethoven🎨 (1770-1827) è stato la figura predominante musicale nel periodo di transizione tra l'epoca Classica e Romantica.

Beethoven fu un innovatore, che ampliò il campo di applicazione della sonata, sinfonia, concerto e quartetto, e la combinazione di voci e strumenti in un modo nuovo.

La sua vita personale è stata segnata da una lotta contro la sordità, e alcune delle sue opere più importanti sono stati composti nel corso degli ultimi 10 anni della sua vita, quando era ancora in grado di sentire.

Andrea Appiani (1754-1817) | Neoclassical painter

Andrea Appiani was an Italian🎨 neoclassical painter. He is known as "the elder", to distinguish him from his great-nephew Andrea Appiani, an historical painter in Rome.

Born in Milan, it had been intended that he follow his father's career in medicine but instead entered the private academy of the painter Carlo Maria Giudici (1723-1804) where he received instruction in drawing, copying mainly from sculpture and prints.

Saint Cecilia: Patroness of Musicians

In the fourth century a Greek religious romance on the Loves of Cecilia and Valerian was written in glorification of virginal life with the purpose of taking the place of then-popular sensual romances.

Consequently, until better evidence is produced, we must conclude that St. Cecilia was not known or venerated in Rome until about the time when Pope Gelasius (496) introduced her name into his Sacramentary.

It is said that there was a church dedicated to St. Cecilia in Rome in the fifth century, in which Pope Symmachus held a council in 500.

The story of St. Cecilia is not without beauty or merit. She is said to have been quite close to God and prayed often:

"In the city of Rome there was a virgin named Cecilia, who came from an extremely rich family and was given in marriage to a youth named Valerian. She wore sackcloth next to her skin, fasted, and invoked the saints, angels, and virgins, beseeching them to guard her virginity".

Orazio Gentileschi🎨 | Saint Cecilia with an Angel

Giovanni Paolo Pannini (1691-1765) | Baroque painter

Giovanni Paolo Panini or Pannini was a painter and architect who worked in Rome and is primarily known as one of the vedutisti ("view painters").

As a painter, Panini is best known for his vistas of Rome, in which he took a particular interest in the city's antiquities.

Among his most famous works are his view of the interior of the Pantheon (on behalf of Francesco Algarotti), and his vedute - paintings of picture galleries containing views of Rome.

Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) | Romantic painter

Sir Thomas Lawrence was the leading British🎨 portrait painter of the early 19th century, portraying most of the important personalities of the day in his polished and flattering style.

He was a child prodigy and largely self-taught; at the age of 10 he was making accomplished portraits in crayon.

He was influenced by Sir Joshua Reynolds🎨 during his youth; his style developed very little throughout his life.

Canaletto | St Mark's Square, Venice - The drawing room of Europe

St Mark's Square, is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as la Piazza ("the Square").

All other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta and the Piazzale Roma) are called campi ("fields").

The Piazzetta ("little Piazza/Square") is an extension of the Piazza towards San Marco basin in its south east corner.

Giuseppe Sanmartino | The Veiled Christ, 1753

Placed at the centre of the nave of the Sansevero Chapel, The Veiled Christ is one of the most famous and impressive works of art in the world.

It was the Prince’s wish that the statue be made by Antonio Corradini (Italian🎨 Rococo sculptor🎨, 19 October 1688 - 12 August 1752), who had already done Modesty for him.

However, Corradini died in 1752 and only managed to make a terracotta scale model of the Christ, which is now preserved in the Museo di San Martino.