Mattia Preti

Mattia Preti stands as a crucial figure in the late Italian Baroque, an artist whose impressive output of large-scale paintings and preparatory drawings solidified his reputation throughout Italy and the Mediterranean. Active during a long and prolific period spanning the mid-seventeenth century, Preti navigated the shifting currents of post-Caravaggesque tenebrism and high-Baroque drama, employing a rigorous technical approach evident across his entire catalog.

Preti's mastery of preparatory work is particularly esteemed today. His surviving graphic output, numbering significantly more than his known panel paintings, demonstrates an architectonic comprehension of scene building. Drawings such as Design for the Decoration of a Cupola with a Prophet, King David and Two Putti show an assured hand designing complex ceiling installations, while the focused study Kneeling Woman highlights his ability to capture weight and movement with expressive economy. The collection housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, featuring these museum-quality works, attests to his importance as a draftsman.

His career was characterized by ambition and mobility. While working extensively in Italy, Preti ultimately secured significant patronage through his service in Malta. His appointment as a Member of the Order of Saint John was not merely an honorific; it provided the framework for executing monumental commissions, including grand altarpieces and frescoes. This elevation in status allowed him to infuse his work with heightened theatricality and dynamic religious emotion, exemplified by the intensity of studies like Saint in Ecstasy.

One subtle but fascinating indicator of his practical, tireless production schedule is visible in the treatment of his vellum. The back of his detailed study Seated Bishop with Arms Extended and Three Attendant Figures (recto) reveals the working artist at his most pragmatic, using the reverse side for quick sketches, including diagrams and a striking, spontaneous Head of a Lion. Though focused on devotional subjects, Preti brought this grounded practicality to his religious narratives. Many of his key pieces, including drawings and Mattia Preti prints, are now available through major global collections such as the National Gallery of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art.