Massimo Stanzione

Massimo Stanzione (also called Stanzioni; 1585 – 1656) was an painter Baroque Italian, mainly active in Naples.

Born a Frattamaggiore (Napoli),in 1585, Massimo Stanzione is influenzato by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The thing that distinguished Massimo’s art from Carravaggis was that he combined Caravaggio’s dramatically lit and brutally realistic style with the classical and lyrical manner of Bolognesi painters, earning him the nickname of the Napolitan Guido Reni.

Though his preliminary training is uncertain, it is thought that he studied with Fabrizio Santafede and Battistello Caracciolo; however, most of the influence he received was from Caravaggio. Art historians believe that Stanzione developed his career as an artist in Rome. It is thought that he began his career as a portraitist. Some of his most famous works include Portrait of a Woman in Popular Costume, and Portrait of Jerome Banks.

His first trip to Rome was in 1617 to 1618, where he worked in Santa Maria della Scala, where traces of his work remain. He returned to the Eternal City several times between 1620 and about 1630. In Rome he underwent the influence of Annibale Carracci and of the revamped Caravaggism of Simon Vouet, among others. In 1621, pope Gregory XV awarded him the title of Knight of the Golden Spur and in 1627, he received the title of Knight of Saint George and Urban VIII invested him with the Order of Christ which, in Spain, gave him the title Caballero Máximo.

Along with Jusepe de Ribera, Stanzione was the principal Neapolitan painter during the first half of the 17th century. This was due to his vast altarpieces and frescoes and of course his following of students and imitators. He and his rival Jusepe de Ribera dominated the painting scene in Naples. Massimo’s rich color and idealized naturalism had a large influence on other local artists, such as Francesco Solimena. It is believed that Massimo Stanzione died during the plague of 1656.

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