MARATTI, Carlo
(b. 1625, Camerano, d. 1713, Roma)

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Angels and Saints

1680-90
Oil on canvas
Santa Maria in Vallicella, Rome

This altarpiece possesses a richness of colour that is unusual for Maratti. He was, in fact, influenced by looking at Venetian painting, which can also be seen from the way the composition is laid out as well as the expressions and gestures of the characters. Maratti had an eclectic ability to quote from others but always toned it down in a sober and controlled fashion. Indeed, this might be seen as his main claim to fame. Otherwise he was an isolated figure trying to handle the difficult passage between one style and another, between one generation and the next.