Bibbiena
,
Italy
- origin of the Galli?Bibiena family
The
Galli?Bibiena family
, or
Galli da Bibiena
(also spelled "Bibbiena"), was a family of Italian artists of the 17th and 18th centuries, including:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
- father,
Giovanni Maria Galli da Bibiena
(1625?1665)
- daughter
Maria Oriana Galli Bibiena
(1656?1749), Italian
painter
- son
Ferdinando Galli Bibiena
(1656?1743), Italian
architect
/designer
- son
Francesco Galli Bibiena
(1659?1739), Italian
architect
- grandson,
Alessandro Galli Bibiena
(1686?1748), architect/painter
- grandson,
Giuseppe Galli Bibiena
(1696?1757), Italian designer
- grandson,
Antonio Galli Bibiena
(1697?1774), Italian architect
- grandson,
Giovanni Carlo Galli-Bibiena
(1717?1760), architect/designer
[5]
- greatgrandson,
Carlo Galli Bibiena
(1728?1787), designer, son of Giuseppe Galli Bibiena
The Galli?Bibiena family derives its name from the
surname
and birthplace of papa Giovanni Maria Galli (1625 - 21 June 1665),
[5]
who was born at
Bibbiena
(
Italy
) outside
Florence
.
[2]
Giovanni was a student of painting and assistant under
Francesco Albani
, being, evidently, adept at the depiction of water scenes.
[5]
He produced faithful copies of his master’s paintings. His surviving independent works include an
Ascension
(1651; Bologna, Certosa) and in the church of Buon Gesu, Bologna, a
frescoed
St Bernardino
and two
sibyls
.
[5]
Giovanni Maria Galli?Bibiena died on 21 June 1665 in Bologna,
[5]
but he had laid the foundations of an artistry which was continued by his descendants, who dedicated themselves to architectural work and
set design
for the theatre.
[2]
Using the highly ornate style of
late baroque
sculpture and architecture, the members of the Galli?Bibiena family produced a series of theatrical and other designs that are exceptional for their intricate splendour and spacious proportions achieved by detailed perspective.
[2]
From about 1690 to 1787, eight Bibienas designed and painted for many of the courts of
Europe
with intricate settings for
operas
,
weddings
, and
funerals
. The
Habsburgs
were their most generous patrons.
[2]
The works of the Galli?Bibiena family in theatrical scenery were not executed in durable material. Also, because their decorative works for court functions were necessarily temporary, few of their creations have survived; however, the richness and splendour of their works can be judged from drawings made at the time, which have been preserved in great numbers and are found mainly in collections at
Vienna
,
Munich
,
Dresden
and
Montreal
.
[2]
[3]
Sons and daughter
[
edit
]
Maria Oriana Galli?Bibiena
(1656?1749), Italian
portrait painter
, born at
Bologna
, was daughter of Giovanni Maria Galli.
[5]
Maria studied with
Carlo Cignani
and
Marcantonio Franceschini
, and she specialized in portraits and history pictures.
[5]
She married the younger landscape painter
Gioacchino Pizzoli
(1661?1773), and later, their son
Domenico Pizzoli
(1687?1720) also became a painter. Maria, at age 93, had outlived her famous brothers and died in Bologna in 1749.
[5]
Ferdinando Galli Bibiena
(18 August 1656 – 3 January 1743),
[4]
born at
Bologna
, was the first son of Giovanni Maria Galli.
[2]
He studied painting from
Carlo Cignani
and
architecture
from
Giulio Troili
. He worked for the duke of
Parma
30 years,
[4]
on the villa and garden of Colorno, but also worked for the theatre.
[2]
In 1708, at
Barcelona
, he arranged decorations for wedding festivities of the prince, future
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
; Ferdinando went to Vienna and worked on designs of scenery and decorations for court festivities and the opera. Returning to
Bologna
in 1717, he was elected a member of the
Clementine Academy
. Beginning in 1731, he built the
Mantua
royal theatre (which burned in 1781). He wrote several books, including:
L'Architettura civile
(1711; "Civil Architecture" and various titles) and
Varie opere di prospettiva
(1703?1708; "Various Works of Perspective").
[2]
Francesco Galli Bibiena
(12 December 1659 – 20 January 1739),
[6]
Italian
architect
and designer, was born at
Bologna
as the second son of Giovanni Maria Galli.
[2]
He studied under both
Lorenzo Pasinelli
and
Carlo Cignani
. After working at
Piacenza
,
Parma
, and
Rome
, he then became the
ducal
architect at
Mantua
. After living in
Genoa
and
Naples
, Francesco Galli Bibiena was called by
Emperor
Leopold I
to the
Vienna
Hofburg
, where in 1700, he built a large theatre, the Große Komodiensaal ("Grand Hall of Comedies"), which became the Court Theater (
Burgtheater
).
[6]
After a short stay in
Italy
and in
Lorraine
, he was invited by Emperor Joseph I, back to the Hofburg, to work as the "First Theatrical Engineer" and as a scene-painter/decorator from 1709-1712.
[6]
Francesco was
architect
of the great theatre in
Nancy, France
; of the
Teatro Filarmonico
at
Verona
(
Verona Philharmonic Theatre
, which some have called the finest theatre in Italy); and of the
Teatro Alibert
in
Rome
. In 1726, Francesco returned to Bologna, where he directed the Clementine Academy.
[2]
Grandsons
[
edit
]
Alessandro Galli Bibiena
(15 October 1686 Parma – 5 May 1748
Mannheim
), Italian architect and painter, was the eldest son of
Ferdinando
and was born at
Parma
.
[2]
In 1719, Alessandro became architect and painter at the court for the elector of the
Electorate of the Palatinate
(in Germany). Among the major works of Alessandro, were the right wing of the castle and the opera house (which both burned in 1795) and also the Jesuit church at
Mannheim
.
[2]
Some German documents use the name "Alessandro Galli di Bibiena".
[7]
Giuseppe Galli Bibiena
(5 January 1696 Parma – 12 March 1757
Berlin
),
[8]
the second son of
Ferdinando
, born on 5 January 1696 at
Parma
, became the most distinguished artist of the Galli?Bibiena family.
[2]
From 1723 to 1747, he worked as "His Majesty's First Theatrical Engineer" for
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
, where he decorated all of the
Habsburg
celebratory festivities. Together with his younger brother Antonio, he designed theater decorations and for festivities in Vienna, also
Linz
,
Graz
, and
Prague
(1723 "Costanza e Fortezza" at
Hrad?any
castle). In 1753, he moved to Berlin in the court of
Frederick the Great of Prussia
, where he died three years later.
Antonio Galli Bibiena
(1 January 1700 Parma – 28 January 1774
Milan
), Italian architect, born in
Parma
, third son of
Ferdinando
, had been a pupil of
Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole
and later of
Marcantonio Franceschini
.
[5]
Antonio became the architect of the
Teatro Scientifico
, intened for the solemn events of the
National Virgilian Academy
at
Mantua
(
Italy
), and architect of the
Teatro Comunale di Bologna
.
[2]
He was also employed at the Hofburg court of
Vienna
.
[2]
Antonio died in Mantua in 1774, at age 74.
[5]
Giovanni Carlo Galli-Bibiena
(11 August 1717 Bologna – 20 November 1760 Ajuda, Lisbon), architect/designer, the son of Francesco, designed the staircase of
Palazzo Savini
and a chapel, the
Cappella di San Antonio
in
San Bartolommeo
di Porta Ravegnana in Bologna, and the decorative scheme for the high altar of the
San Petronio Basilica
, Bologna, for the Bolognese
Pope Benedict XIV
.
[5]
From 1752-55, he designed and built the
Opera do Tejo
in Lisbon, but the opera house was destroyed seven months after completion by the
1755 earthquake
. He died five years later.
[5]
Greatgrandsons
[
edit
]
Carlo Galli Bibiena
(1728?1787), son of Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, was born in
Vienna
.
[2]
This last member of the theatrical Bibienas traveled farther from home than the rest of the family. Carlo Galli Bibiena worked in 8 countries, including:
Germany
,
France
,
Austria
, the
Netherlands
(1746?1760),
London
(1763),
Naples
(1772, where Carlo published five opera sets);
Stockholm
(1774); and
St. Petersburg, Russia
(until 1778). He died in Florence in 1787, near age 59.
[2]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
"Ferdinando Galli Bibiena Online" (overview), John Malyon,
Artcyclopedia
, 2005, Artcyclopedia.com webpage:
Artcyc-FBibiena
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
"Bibiena, Galli da, Family" (history),
Encyclopædia Britannica Online
, 18-November-2006, Britannica.com webpage:
EB-Bibienas
.
- ^
a
b
Galli de Bibiena collection at the
Canadian Centre for Architecture
, webpage:
"Baroque Scenography: The Galli Bibiena Family"
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Galli?Bibiena, Ferdinando" (history),
Encyclopedia of Austria
, 2006, Aeiou-Austria webpage:
aeiou-FerdinandoGBibiena
Archived
2012-12-30 at
archive.today
:
has dates, Farnese dynasty, travel to Barcelona for Karl VI.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
"Artists' Biographies: Galli?Bibiena [Galli da Bibiena],"
artnet - The art world online
,
NY
, 2006, webpage:
an-GBibiena
("artnet" is a trademark of artnet Worldwide Corporation).
- ^
a
b
c
"Galli?Bibiena, Francesco" (biography),
Encyclopedia of Austria
, 2006, aeiou-Austria webpage:
aeiou-FrancescoGBibiena
:
has dates, work for Leopold I, designed
Große Komodiensaal
.
- ^
"Museum Haus Cajeth - Galerie & Buchhandlung" (Heidelberg),
Hans-Martin Mumm,
Heidelberg, Germany
, October 2004, webpage:
Cajeth-House-gallery
.
- ^
"Galli?Bibiena, Giuseppe" (dates, with
Friedrich the Great
),
Encyclopedia of Austria
, 2006, aeiou-Austria webpage:
aeiou-FerdinandoGBibiena
Archived
2012-12-30 at
archive.today
.
References
[
edit
]
- A. H. Mayor,
The Bibiena Family
, 1940.
- Dunbar H. Ogden,
The Italian Baroque Stage
, Berkeley, 1978.
ISBN
0-520-03006-0
.
External links
[
edit
]
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