Pietro Berrettini was called after his native town of Cortona in Tuscany. He was trained by Andrea Commodi and in 1612 he moved to Rome. He painted frescoes, altarpieces, secular paintings and portraits. From 1633 to 1639 he executed one of the most splendid and influential decorative schemes in Rome, the Barberini Palace ceiling. His frescoes in the Pitti Palace, Florence, date from 1637-8 and 1640-7. He was also active as an architect.
Pietro da Cortona
1596 - 1669
Paintings by Pietro da Cortona
Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, sits serenely at a table, holding a palm – the symbol of her martyrdom – in one hand and a sheet of music in the other. On the left is a portable organ; on the right an angel leans on a harp. In the top right corner we can glimpse the upper parts of a cl...