Bernardo Cavallino

Bernardo Cavallino was an Italian Baroque painter born in Naples on August 25, 1616, and died there in 1656, likely due to the plague. His artistic training is not well documented, but he was a pupil of Andrea Vaccaro and influenced by artists such as Massimo Stanzione and Antoon van Dyck. His style is positioned between Caravaggio's tenebrism and the Baroque grace of Federico Barocci, featuring theatrical elements and a focus on tenderness and expressive gestures. Cavallino mainly worked for private patrons, which explains why many of his works are unsigned or undocumented. Among his masterpieces are "Ecstasy of Saint Cecilia" and the "Immaculate Conception" housed at the Museo di Capodimonte, as well as paintings like "Saint Paul and the Centurion" and "Moses Saved from the Waters." He also collaborated with Artemisia Gentileschi during her time in Naples, contributing to works such as "The Triumph of Galatea." His oeuvre, with about eighty attributed works, is valued for its grace and refined expression rather than strong ethical or spiritual tension. Cavallino is buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Naples. The auction house Bertolami Fine Art has handled several of his works, including "Allegory of Music" and "Saint Catherine of Alexandria."