The Paintings of Bernardo Cavallino

Bernardo Cavallino (Naples, 1616–1656) was one of the most exquisite and individual painters of the Italian Baroque, yet his work has not heretofore been accorded the monograph which it deserves. A clear definition of Cavallino’s work is basic to the study of Neapolitan Baroque painting, as his style is related to all the various local trends and movements from the Grand Manner to the small scale of the cabinet-painting genre, and from the influence of Caravaggio to that of Bolognese classicism.

The author brings together the available material on Cavallino and examines the formation and development of his style in relation to the diverse trends in Neapolitan painting of the period. The catalogue raisonné lists original paintings, copies, wrong attributions, and lost works, as the basis for reconstructing a hitherto obscure artistic personality.