1675 -1741 · Venice and great European settings

Light colors, rapid gestures and aerial mythologies make Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini one of the first great ambassadors of Venetian decor in the 18th century.

Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini was born in Venice in 1675. Trained with the Milanese painter Paolo Pagani, he accompanied his master to Moravia and Vienna at a very young age before returning to the lagoon. The example of Sebastiano Ricci then transformed his manner: lighter colors, fluid silhouettes and open compositions gradually replaced the density of late Baroque. Pellegrini then specialized in mythological, religious and allegorical scenes intended for palaces. Pellegrini specialized in mythological, religious and allegorical scenes intended for palaces. His rapid brush and elegant figures lend themselves to vast ceilings as well as preparatory sketches. In 1708, he traveled to England with Marco Ricci and worked until 1713 for several sponsors aristocratic. The sets of Castle Howard, Kimbolton Castle and other residences helped spread brighter Venetian painting in northern Europe. After London, Pellegrini received commissions in Düsseldorf for the Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm, then in the United Provinces, France, Vienna, Prague and elsewhere in Germany. In Paris, around 1720 he participated in the decor of John Law's Bank, now lost. He married Angela Carriera, sister of the famous portrait painter Rosalba Carriera, and remained closely linked to the international network of Venetian artists. His painted models, wash drawings and large decorations reflect a spontaneous invention, often lighter than that of his predecessors. Died in Venice in 1741, Pellegrini opened the way to Tiepolo's European successes by making the great Venetian decor a cosmopolitan language. The "Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini" selection notably compares Bacchus and Ariadne and Apollo and the Muses. His reading favors movement.

Pellegrini takes Venetian baroque on the roads of Europe: the gesture becomes lighter, the color breathes and the mythology becomes a setting in motion.