Giovan Battista Biscarra

Giovanni Battista Biscarra or Giovan Batista Biscarra (February 22, 1790 – April 13, 1851) was an Italian painter, sculptor, lithographer. He principally painted historical and religious subjects and a few portraits.

Born in Nice (then in the Kingdom of Sardinia, now in France), he was the son of Caterina Coppon and Giuseppe Costantino Biscarra. His father was auditor and general treasurer of the Royal Armies of the House of Savoy.

He learned his first rudiments of art from Pietro Benvenuti in Florence, where his family had taken refuge during the French occupation of the Piedmont. After twelve years of study at the Academy of Florence, he graduated with the painting The Prodigal Son crying about his Mistakes. He then moved to Rome in 1845 with a stipend from Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia. He studied at the Accademia di San Luca where he became friends with the leading artists of Roman neoclassicism, such as Antonio Canova, Bertel Thorvaldsen, Tenerani, Vincenzo Camuccini and several others. He gained great success in Rome with his The Remorse of Cain (1817 or 1818, antechamber of the Superintendence, in the Palazzo Carignano).

After seven years in Rome he was summoned to Turin by Charles Felix of Sardinia. By sovereign decree of 17 September 1821 he was named the "first painter of His Majesty, Head and master of the schools of painting and drawing, and Director of the Academy of the nude". In 1822 he began teaching courses at the Academy, proving himself to be an excellent teacher. He continued teaching after the establishment of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1824 and after the Albertine reform of the Academy in 1833. in 1842 he participated in the founding of the 'Società promotrice di belle arti' ('Society for the promotion of fine arts').

...
Wikipedia