The Life and Art of il Morazzone
Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, widely known as il Morazzone, was an Italian painter and draughtsman active in Milan. Born in Morazzone, near Varese, he was the son of a mason. His early training is associated with the Sienese painter Ventura Salimbeni, though some accounts suggest he frequented the academies of Rome or worked in the workshop of the Cavalier D'Arpino. During his time in Rome, he contributed to several important churches, including the courtyard of Saint John Lateran and the sacristy of St. Peter’s. His surviving Roman frescoes, located in the church of San Silvestro in Capite, include a Visitation and an Adoration of the Magi.
After leaving Rome, he established himself in Lombardy and Piedmont. His career included significant commissions for the Milan Cathedral and various frescoes for the Sacro Monte di Varallo and the Sacro Monte di Varese. His work is noted for its large decorative frescoes and altarpieces, often characterized by a sense of religious mysticism and intense drama.
Major Works and Collaborations
Mazzucchelli’s artistic output spanned various media, from large-scale frescoes to oil paintings and works on copper. Some of his notable commissions include:
- The frescoes in the chapel of the Ecce Homo at the Sacro Monte of Varallo, created in collaboration with the sculptor Giovanni d’Enrico.
- The Massacre of the Innocents, painted between 1611 and 1612 for the Palazzo Arcivescovile in Milan.
- The Last Judgement cycle in the chapel of the Buona Morte in San Gaudenzio, Novara, dating from 1619–1620.
- The Allegory of the Province of Susa, located in the Galleria Sabauda, Turin.
In his later years, he collaborated with other prominent painters such as Cerano and Giulio Cesare Procaccini, notably on the Martyrdom of St. Rufina and St. Secunda. His final projects included the decoration of the dome of Piacenza Cathedral, which remained unfinished at the time of his death.
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