Gaetano Gigante (1770 – 23 September 1840) was an Italian painter and engraver.
Biography Born in Naples, he was the son of Francesco Gigante; a fisherman. His artistic training took place in the workshops of Giacinto Diano at the Royal Academy of Design.Biography of Gigante by Carolina Brook, from the Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani @ Treccani
His first works were mostly ecclesiastical commissions for religious paintings throughout Campania. He was almost forty before he added genre painting to his repertoire. His first work in that style depicted a banquet held by the legionnaires of Joachim Murat, commissioned by the Palace of Caserta. Raffaello Causa, "Gaetano Gigante", in La Scuola di Posillipo, Fabbri Editori, Milan 1967 He eventually specialized in depicting local costumes and customs.
Most of his major religious works, however, also came during his later years. From 1818 to 1822, he was involved in creating a series of frescoes, with scenes from the story of Mary and Jesus, at the church of Santa Maria di Piedigrotta. During that same period he also created an altarpiece at the church of Santa Maria di Caravaggio and an Assumption at the church of Santa Maria delle Vigna in Pietravairano.Francis Napier, Notes on Modern Painting at Naples, John W. Parker & Sons (1855), Online @ Google Books
He presented three works at the Museo Borbonico in 1830, and two more in 1833, which were awarded a silver medal.Silvia Cassani, All'ombra del Vesuvio. Napoli nella veduta europea dal Quattrocento all'Ottocento, Electa (1990) , Online @ Google Books
In 1801, he married Anna Maria Fatali. He was the father of Giacinto Gigante, named after his teacher; one of the founders of the School of Posillipo. His seven other children included Achille Gigante (1824–1846), who was a lithographer.Famiglia Gigante Four died while they were still very young.
Gigante died in 1840 in Naples.
References
Further reading Lucio Fino, "Gaetano Gigante", in La Scuola di Posillipo, Grimaldi & C. Editori, Naples 2002 Giuseppe Luigi Marini, "Gaetano Gigante", in Il valore dei dipinti italiani dell'Ottocento e del primo novecento, edizione XIX (2001/2002), Umberto Allemandi & C., Turin 2002 Paolo Ricci, "Gaetano Gigante", in Arte e artisti a Napoli, 1800-1943, Edizioni Banco di Napoli, Naples 1981
External links
Brief biography @ the Istituto Matteucci