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Paolo (Caliari) Veronese

1528-1588 Italy/Mannerism

Brief Biography-Paolo Caliari became Paolo Veronese after Verona, his place of birth. His father trained him as a sculptor, but he preferred painting. In due course, he became a disciple of Antonio Badile in Verona and painted several regional frescos, notably large ones in the Villa Soranzo Castelfranco. However, he was more suited to large compositions.
In 1551 he moved to Venice to paint frescos. His first undertakings were ceilings in the Doge’s Palace, followed by the roof of the Church of San Sebastiano. He received further commissions from those works. One of his later most outstanding works is the Apotheosis of Venice in the Palazzo Ducale. However, while his compositions for main churches and palaces were supreme, some of his works for private patrons were considered poor.
He travelled to Rome with the ambassador from Venice to the Pope, where he observed the works of Raffaello Sanzio (Raphael) and Michael Angelo Buonarroti. When he returned to Venice, his style improved, and a knighthood was conferred on him by the Doge. He submitted work in a competition for the best painting for Saint Marks and won a premium of a large gold chain. He was so proud of his victory that he wore the chain around his neck publicly as a mark of distinction.
Veronese has several paintings attributed to him; however, as they look somewhat rougher, they may have been done by his brother Benedetto or his son Carletto Cagliari who painted in the style of Paolo.
Tiziano Vecellio (Titian) and Jacopo Robusti Tintoretto influenced him. Albrecht Durer, whom he studied in his youth, influenced some of his designs. His work, in turn, influenced artists such as Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Johann Anton Eismann, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and many more. As a result, Veronese is esteemed as one of the greatest artists ever.