Ascanio Luciano Italian, 1621 -1706

Ascanio Luciano (Naples, Italy 1621 - Naples, Italy 1706).

Born in 1621, Luciano is believed to have studied under Viviano Codazzi before leaving Naples around 1650. The strong influence of Codazzi on the first paintings of Luciano has generated indecision on the attribution of certain artworks. In 1665, Luciano joined the Congregation of Painters of Saints Anna and Luca.

The decorative architectural paintings by Luciano represented a unique genre which became popular in Rome in the mid-17th century, the “Whims”, famous compositions with archeological ruins, less focused on an accurate rendering of architecture, instead focused on the figurative aspects of paintings and their narrative.

Like Codazzi, Luciano tried to depict daily Roman life while expressing its monumentality through the representation of fantastic scenes.

His works are considered the precursor developments in painting in the 18th-century.

Luciano died in Naples in 1706.

Photo UniCredit Group (Sebastiano Pellion di Persano)