STERN, family of artists of German origin, active in Italy
Ignaz Stern, the son of an Austrian painter, settled in Rome c. 1724. The family remained there: Ignaz's son Ludovico I Stern (1709–1777) was a prolific portrait and history painter in the circle of Anton Raphael Mengs, and his daughter Veronica Stern (1717–1807) was a miniature painter. Ludovico's son Giovanni Stern (c. 1734–after 1794) was an architect, as were Giovanni's own sons, Raffaele Stern and Ludovico II Stern (1780–1861). Contrary to received opinion, the Sterns were not called 'Stella' in Italy.
