Michelangelo Pergolesi

Michelangelo Pergolesi (* in Italy , † 1801 in London ) was an Italian decorative artist of the 18th century who had a major influence on classicism in England.

In his youth in Italy, Pergolesi trained as a silversmith, engraver and copperplate engraver. Neither his place of birth nor his year of birth are known. In England he worked mainly for the architects Robert Adam and his brother James Adam . Pergolesi and James Adam met during the architect's long study visit to Rome. In 1760 James brought Adam Pergolesi with him to London on his return, where he found employment in the Adams architectural office. Robert and James Adam are considered the most important architects of the late 18th century in England. They developed Palladian neoclassicism, a light, airy, elegant style, the so-called Adam style . In the interiors of the Adams ceilings and walls were covered with classical and Arcadian motifs, which were sometimes executed by Pergolesi himself or by Angelika Kauffmann , by her husband Antonio Zucchi or by Giovanni Battista Cipriani .

From 1760 the Adams worked closely with Pergolesi. The Italian designed furniture, mantles, ceilings, cornices, friezes, chandeliers and complete wall schemes. Its decorative elements are based on ancient models such as vases, gods, sphinxes , torches, war trophies, standards, arabesques and festoons . The archaeological finds from Pompeii and Herculaneum form the central stylistic features of his work. Pergolesi varied these floating medallions, urns and grotesques in any combination.

Pergolesi's work can be found in well-known collections around the world, e. B. the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum . Between 1777 and 1801 he published his designs, some in loose sheets, and in the volume "Designs for Various Ornaments on Seventy Plates" (London 1791), which was a great inspiration for contemporary artists.

literature

• Classical Ornament of the Eighteenth Century; designed and engraved by Michelangelo Pergolesi . With an introduction by Edward A. Maser, New York 1970, ISBN 0-486-22389-2 .