Carlo Cesare Malvasia

Who was Carlo Cesare Malvasia?

Carlo Cesare Malvasia was an Italian scholar and art historian from Bologna, best known for his biographies of Baroque artists titled Felsina pittrice, vite de’ pittori bolognesi, published in 1678.

Malvasia is the Bolognese equivalent of Giorgio Vasari, and saw his native city surpassing Florence in the artistic supremacy of his time. Born to an aristocratic family, he is also known as Count Carlo Malvasia. He received cursory training in painting under Giacinto Campana and Giacomo Cavedone. He also was an amateur poet and participated in local literary circles. He traveled to Rome in 1639 where he met Cardinal Bernardino Spada and the sculptor Alessandro Algardi. Records indicate he spent some time as a volunteer cavalier during the First War of Castro at the urging of his cousin Cornelio Malvasia; leader of the Papal Army cavalry.

Thereafter he graduated as a lawyer, and lectured on the subject at the university in Bologna. He obtained a theology degree in 1653, and was appointed a canon in Bologna Cathedral in 1662.

His Felsina pittrice is a principal sources of information about the wave of painters from Emilia-Romagna that rose to Italian pre-eminence during the Baroque.