Diogène et le philosophe

24 febbraio 1613

Born

1630

Moves to Rome to live with his brother Gregorio

He moved to Rome, where he lived with his older brother Gregorio, also a painter and about ten years his senior, who had arrived in the Papal capital two years earlier, in 1628. There he became acquainted with the techniques of Caravaggio and his followers, such as Bartolomeo Manfredi, Nicolas Tournier and Valentin de Boulogne, and in his early works he often used sharp contrasts between deep shadow and intense light and depicted everyday subjects: card players, musicians and tavern scenes.

31 October 1642

Admitted to the Order of St John of Jerusalem

He was admitted to the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The large canvas of Empress Faustina visiting Saint Catherine of Alexandria in prison (Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio) dates from this period: its original frame bore the Barberini coat of arms, and the work was most likely created to celebrate his knighthood.

1653

Moves to Naples

He first appears in the records in Naples in March 1653; he quickly became a prominent figure in Neapolitan artistic circles.

summer 1659

A trip to Malta: Knight of Grace of the Order

In the summer of 1659 he travelled to Malta, where he was made a Knight of Grace in the Order of St John and visited the Order’s headquarters.

3 gennaio 1699

Died