Domenichino was born on October 21, 1581 in Bologna, Italy as Domenico Zampieri, but due to his stature (or lack thereof), he’s been known as Domenichino ever since. (It means “Little Domenico.”) In addition to his lack of height, he’s famous for being a Baroque painter.
Domenichino was a revered painter in Rome, and his Last Communion of Saint Jerome (pictured below) was considered by some to be the best picture in the world, and those who were a little more reserved in dealing out compliments labeled it as being comparable to The Transfiguration by Raphael. Domenichino worked with his friend Giovanni Battista Agucchi on a Treatise on Painting, a study in achieving perfection in art. They believed that one should copy the greatest artistic masterpieces–not to create duplicates, but to improve upon them. The idea of The Last Communion of Saint Jerome was borrowed from and altarpiece by his former teacher, Agostino Carracci. It is open to opinion how influential this Treatise has been, but to this day artists are taught in part by being instructed to copy great works, and it’s still found to be a most effective method of learning.
Shown below are The Last Communion of Saint Jerome and The Adoration of the Shepherds.
