Giandomenico Catalano

Giandomenico Catalano

Born in Gallipoli, perhaps around 1560, he was the protagonist of the Salentine art events between the XVI-XVII centuries; still unknown are the events concerning his formation and the date of his death, probably after 1626-27.

His intense and long-term activity as a painter gave him great reputation as an “excellent painter” and “devotee”.

During his activity he had a flourishing school, which included his son Giovan Pietro. His pictorial style was pleasant and graceful. He entered into competition with D’Orlando, another Salentine artist.

Certainly formed in the late-mannerist environment of Naples in the second half of the sixteenth century, he achieved more pleasant results since the ’90s, according to the typical stylistic elements of the figurative culture of Teodoro d’Errico and Francesco Curia, who were the main propagators of neo-Parmesan Mannerism of Northern origin. The latest part of Catalano’s artistic journey, a sign of a conquered maturity, was his encounter with Imparato’s manner and with and “Baroccism”.

Many of his paintings are now in Gallipoli (Cathedral, Rosario, San Francesco d’Assisi, Santa Chiara) and all around Salento

[From: Il grande Salento per immagini (Storia - Arte - Cultura - Tradizione GALLIPOLI) Texts by Elio Pindinelli, Published by Il Salentino Editore - translated by: Rocco Merenda]
Giovan Battista Crispo 1550 circa – 1598 circa
Stefano Catalano 1553 circa – 1620 circa
Bernardino Amico
Giovan Carlo Coppola 1599 – 1652
Tommaso Briganti 1691 – 1762
Filippo Briganti 1724 – 1804
Giovanni Presta 1720 – 1797
Giandomenico Catalano 1560 circa –
Giovan Andrea Coppola 1567 – 1599
Giorgio da Gallipoli
Leonida Tonelli 1885 – 1946
Eugenio Vetromile 1819 – 1881
Tommaso Fiore 1884 – 1973
Emanuele Barba 1819 – 1887