Giordano, LUCA

Giordano, LUCA, an Italian painter, was born at Naples, about 1632, studied under Ribera in that town, and afterwards under Cortona at Rome. Subsequently he visited the principal centres of painting in Italy. Giordano acquired the power of working with extreme rapidity (whence his nickname Fa-Presto, 'Make-haste'), and of imitating the style of most of the great masters. Consequently much of his work is hurried and superficial. In 1692 he proceeded to Madrid, at the request of Charles II. of Spain, who desired his assistance in the embellishment of the Escorial. On the death of Charles in 1700 Giordano returned to Naples, where he died, 12th January 1705. His finest frescoes are to be found in the Treasury of the Certosa, near Pavia, and in the church of San Lorenzo, in the Escorial; his best pictures are 'Christ expelling the Traders' and 'Francis Xavier' (Naples), a Nativity (Madrid), the 'Judgment of Paris' (Berlin), and several in the gallery at Dresden.