Pier Leone Ghezzi facts for kids

Self-portrait of Pier Leone Ghezzi

A funny drawing (caricature) of the famous composer Antonio Vivaldi by Pier Leone Ghezzi

A drawing called "Monk with a Carrot and a Woman with a Chamber Pot"

A caricature of Charles-Louis Clérisseau from 1752, now in the British Museum

Pier Leone Ghezzi (born June 28, 1674 – died March 6, 1755) was a talented Italian artist. He lived and worked in Rome, Italy. Ghezzi was known for two main things: his beautiful Rococo paintings and his funny drawings called caricatures.

About Pier Leone Ghezzi

His Early Life and Art Training

Pier Leone Ghezzi was born in Rome, Italy, and he also passed away there. He learned how to paint from his father, Giuseppe Ghezzi. His father was also a painter and taught another artist named Antonio Amorosi.

Joining the Art Academy

Pier Leone's father was an important person at the Roman Accademia di San Luca. This was a famous art academy in Rome. In 1705, Pier Leone joined this academy too. To join, he had to give them a special painting called an Allegory of Gratitude. This was a common tradition for new members.

His Paintings and Frescoes

Ghezzi painted for different churches, like the Cappuccini of Frascati and San Onofrio of Urbino. He was also the godson of a very famous painter named Carlo Maratta. Pier Leone is especially known for his large wall paintings, called frescoes, in the Villa Falconieri in Frascati.

Over the years, his painting style changed quite a bit. Sometimes, his work showed the influence of French portrait painting.

His Famous Caricatures

Pier Leone Ghezzi was very good at drawing funny pictures of people, known as caricatures. He used a pen and a type of paint called gouache for these drawings. His caricatures were much more lively and emotional than his formal portraits. People really admired them!

These drawings often showed specific people or different jobs in a funny and sometimes critical way. Ghezzi used many different kinds of drawings and watercolors. Scientists recently found some of his watercolors that show different types of stones and marbles. These were collected in a book in 1727 called "Studio di molte pietre," which means "Collection of different stones." This book is now kept in the Biblioteca Alessandrina in Rome.

See also

In Spanish: Pier Leone Ghezzi para niños