Luca Giordano, 1634 Neapel – 1705 ebenda, nach

VENUS IN A LANDSCAPE, SURROUNDED BY BACCHUS' CHILDREN Reverse glass painting. 60 x 48 cm. The mythological depiction shows the goddess of love with blonde curls, back view, clad in a blue velum. At her feet are drinking vessels from a bacchanal, on the left putti and a tambourine player, a putto on a young goat. The painting style and subject are in keeping with the many such depictions of myths known to the painter. As a pupil in the circle of masters around the Spaniard Jusepe de Ribera (1588/91-1652), Luca Giordano was mainly active in Naples, Rome and Florence. In 1692, King Charles II appointed him court painter. He also maintained his own workshop for his work as a reverse glass painter. He worked with this technique for at least 14 years and had several pupils and successors. Two important of his reverse glass paintings "Adoration of the Shepherds" (one signed "L. Jordanus F. 1688") can be found in the palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso near Segovia, Spain. Such works in the style of Giordano were created in southern Italy as well as in Spain in the 18th century. One side with crack, backed with second pane of glass. A.R. Literature: Cf. Frieder Ryser, Luca Giordano Naples and Spain 17th and 18th century, in: exhib. cat. Glas-Glanz-Farbe: Vielfalt barocker Hinterglaskunst im Europa des 17. und 18. Jahrhunderts, Brigitte Salmen (ed.), Murnau 1997, p. 26. (1401652) (11)