Teodoro Benedetti

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Teodoro Daniele Benedetti , also Theodor Benedetti (born November 13, 1697 in Castione , † July 24, 1783 in Mori ) was an Italian sculptor and architect of the late Baroque and Rococo .

Life

Teodoro was the last representative of the Benedetti family of sculptors. He began to follow in the footsteps of his father Cristoforo at an early age and initially helped out in his father's workshop in Castione.

In the years from 1718 to 1726, which can be regarded as his apprenticeship, he was particularly active on Lake Garda . Between 1719 and 1724 he completed the main altar in the parish church of Limone as well as another side altar that his father had designed and started. A little later they both worked on two side altars in the parish church of Torri del Benaco . During this time he incorporated elements from the artistic circle of Brescia in his work , which influenced his artistic style.

High altar of the Brixen Cathedral

Between 1724 and 1732 he supported his father in the work that he carried out on the Innsbruck Cathedral on behalf of the Prince-Bishop of Brixen Kaspar Ignaz von Künigl , including the high and side altars. The altar works in Innsbruck Cathedral show the transition from baroque to classicism . If the high altar was built under the Baroque style, the later built side altars in the nave already had classical elements.

Despite the close cooperation with Teodoro, Cristoforo did not seem to have been satisfied with his son's work, as he had already neglected him in his will in favor of his brothers in his 1728 will. Perhaps it was this mistrust that encouraged Teodoro to separate himself spatially from his father after his marriage in 1729 and to move into his own house. In 1732 he signed his first contract for the main altar of the parish church in Calavino , without the assistance of his father .

Despite the disagreements with his father, he continued working with him through the 1730s. If Cristoforo relied on the collaboration with Teodoro because his other sons were not active as sculptors and had embarked on a completely different path in life, the level of fame and business relationships of his father was particularly useful for Teodoro. But he also worked successfully with other sculptors, such as Dominikus Moling .

After his father's death in 1740, he inherited his workshop, even though Cristoforo still did not trust him and, according to the will, ordered Teodoro that the unfinished work should be completed under the care of his uncle Sebastiano. In his will, Cristoforo described him as an easily distractable idler who spends money on doing nothing.

The 1740s were the busiest years for Teodoro. During this time he took on several jobs at the same time and then had difficulties coping with all of them. So there were repeated delays, especially since he often had to have changes made at the request of the client, probably also because he lacked the diplomatic skills of his father and he could not assert his ideas.

In the 1740s, among other things, he contributed to the baroque transformation of several churches in Rovereto , which was in a time of cultural and artistic optimism. One of his most important works in Rovereto is the Mariahilfaltar in the Archparish Church of San Marco . In addition, he was active on altar works in the parish church of Riva del Garda . During this time, however, numerous works were created in what is now South Tyrol . In 1742 he designed the high altar of the collegiate church of the Neustift monastery , which was then completed by Antonio Giuseppe Sartori . Around 1744 he created the main altar for the Dominican church in Bolzano , which is now in the parish church of the Assumption of Mary in Kaltern . In South Tyrol he is particularly known for his work on Brixen Cathedral . He received the first commission for the cathedral in 1745 from his father's patron, Prince-Bishop Kaspar Ignaz von Künigl. He drew the drafts for the reconstruction of the cathedral, which was then carried out in a slightly modified form by Josef Delai. He created the high altar in 1747, which is considered his masterpiece, as well as the marble incrustations of the building. However, he miscalculated during his work in Brixen, so that he had to go to Künigl and after his death practically begged his brother to get paid the increased costs.

In the 1750s he subcontracted numerous commissions that others carried out on his behalf, including work on the parish church in Villa Lagarina and on the cathedral of Lonato near Brescia. The last works that can be verifiably assigned to him date from the 1760s, including the main altar in the parish church of Cles .

literature

  • Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (eds.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume primo. Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Trento 2003 ISBN 88-86602-55-3
  • Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (eds.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume secondo. Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Trento 2003 ISBN 88-86602-55-3
  • Nicolò Rasmo : Storia dell'arte in Trentino. Nicolò Rasmo, Trento 1982

Web links

Commons : Teodoro Benedetti  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Remigio Marini:  Teodoro Benedetti. In: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI).
  2. ^ A b Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (Ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume secondo. P. 68
  3. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume secondo. P. 69
  4. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume secondo. Pp. 71-72
  5. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume primo. Pp. 292-293
  6. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume primo. Pp. 287-288
  7. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume secondo. P. 73
  8. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume secondo. Pp. 73-74
  9. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume primo. Pp. 294-295
  10. ↑ Andrea Bacchi, Luciana Giacomelli (ed.): Scultura in Trentino. Il Seicento e il Settecento: volume secondo. Pp. 74-76
personal data
SURNAME Benedetti, Teodoro
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Benedetti, Teodoro Daniele (full name); Benedetti, Theodor
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian sculptor and architect of the late Baroque and Rococo
DATE OF BIRTH November 13, 1697
PLACE OF BIRTH Castione
DATE OF DEATH July 24, 1783
Place of death Mori