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Luca Giordano

The Destruction of the Temple

Biography of Luca Giordano

Luca Giordano (18 October 1634 - 3 January 1705) was an Italian painter and printmaker of the late Baroque. Fluent and decorative, he worked successfully in Naples and Rome, Florence and Venice, before spending a decade in Spain.
Born in Naples, Giordano was the son of the painter Antonio Giordano. Around 1650 he was an apprentice of Ribera on the recommendation of the Viceroy of Naples, and his early work was heavily influenced by his master. Like Ribera, he painted many half-length figures of philosophers, both imaginary portraits of specific figures and generic types. He acquired the nickname Luca fa presto, which translates to "Luca paints quickly." His speed, both in drawing and manual work, and his versatility, which allowed him to deceptively imitate other painters, earned him two other epithets, "La Folgore" (Lightning) and "Il Proteo" of painting. After a period of study in Rome, Parma, and Venice, Giordano developed an elaborate Baroque style by blending Venetian and Roman influences. His mature work combines the ornamental pomp of Paolo Veronese with the lively complex schemes, the "grand manner," of Pietro da Cortona. He is also known for his lively and showy use of color.

The work