MALOMBRA, Pietro - b. 1556 Venezia, d. 1618 Venezia - WGA

MALOMBRA, Pietro

(b. 1556 Venezia, d. 1618 Venezia)

Italian painter, a pupil in the school of Giuseppe Porta (c. 1520-c. 1575). His designs are more studied and laboured than those of most of the Venetian painters. He copied Palma, but avoided the meanness of an imitator; and his pictures of the Miracles of St Francis de Paula, in the church of that name at Venice, fully express his style. His historical subjects are admirable, particularly those of the easel size. He painted architectural views of noted places in Venice, embellishing them with figures, beautifully arranged, and imagined with considerable ease and symmetry. He also produced many portraits.

Samson and Delilah
Samson and Delilah by

Samson and Delilah

Pietro Malombra is thought to have trained with Giuseppe Salviati but his dramatic compositions and fluid handling of paint show the marked influence of Tintoretto.

The Doge and Senators in the Sala del Collegio, Palazzo Ducale, Venice
The Doge and Senators in the Sala del Collegio, Palazzo Ducale, Venice by

The Doge and Senators in the Sala del Collegio, Palazzo Ducale, Venice

Malombra pioneered this style of historical interior scenes, intended to document a specific scene and accurately represent the surroundings. He was the first painter to represent the interior of the Sala del Collegio in the Doge’s Palace; eight versions of the present painting exist, showing meetings in the magnificent hall.

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