Giovanni Battista Cavalcaselle Italian art critic. Date of Birth: 22.01.1820 Country: Italy

1. Artistic Education and Revolutionary Involvement
2. Collaborative Art History Endeavors
3. Return to Italy and Institutional Roles

Artistic Education and Revolutionary Involvement

Giovanni Morelli, an Italian art connoisseur, honed his artistic skills at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts. His involvement in the Italian revolutionary uprisings of 1848, however, led to his exile and subsequent departure for London with his friend Joseph Archer Crowe.

Collaborative Art History Endeavors

In collaboration with Crowe, Morelli authored influential art history books that established the foundation for systematic British art history. Their first joint work, "Early Flemish Painters," was published in 1857. This was followed by the monumental "A New History of Painting in Italy from the Second to the Sixteenth Century" (1864-1871) in five volumes, as well as biographies of Titian ("Titian: His Life and Times," 1877) and Raphael ("Raphael: His Life and Works," 1882-1885).

Morelli's role in these collaborative efforts involved sketching copies of the paintings under discussion, while Crowe handled the final drafting and editing of the text based on the shared ideas of both authors.

Return to Italy and Institutional Roles

Morelli's return to Italy in 1857 enabled him to assume the role of Inspector of the National Museum in Florence until 1878. Subsequently, he became Chief Inspector at the Central Administration of Fine Arts in Rome.

His tireless exploration of Italy and meticulous sketching of masterworks for comparative analysis were instrumental in his connoisseurship. Morelli's encounter with Bernard Berenson significantly influenced the latter's academic trajectory.