Pietro Baratta

Pietro Baratta (1659–1729) (17th century) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, active in Venice.

He was master of the sculptor Francesco Robba.

Biography

Born in Carrara, Tuscany, he worked in Venice and Udine, at the villas on the mainland and as a landscape architect.

He was the nephew of the sculptor Francesco Baratta the elder (1590–1666), who had worked in Rome in the studio of Bernini. Even his two brothers, Francesco and Giovanni, were sculptors.

He had his own studio in which many trainees, including the sculptor Francesco Robba, apprenticed. He also had many orders from abroad: for the baroque gardens of St. Petersburg Pietro Baratta and his workshop executed a series of allegorical sculptures, many of which have been preserved, including a sculpture of "Andromeda", a "Allegory of Architecture" and busts including the "Allegory of Winter", the "Allegory of Spring" and others.

Works

He is responsible for the sculptures in the facade of the Villa Manin's Chapel at Passariano di Codroipo (Udine) between them the statues of the four Evangelists and the Madonna with the Child.

Pietro Baratta is also the probable author of five statues of St Roch, St Antony abbot, the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, St Mattew and St John Baptist on the facade of the Church of Santa Maria at Villa Vicentina (VI), built between 1660 and 1680 on the site of an older building.

Pietro Baratta is the author af a statue of St Ignatius of Loyola, shown in a contemplative attitude, with an open Bible in his hands, for the church of Santa Maria Assunta (I Gesuiti) in Venice.

References

• Ticozzi, Stefano (1830). Dizionario degli architetti, scultori, pittori, intagliatori in rame ed in pietra, coniatori di medaglie, musaicisti, niellatori, intarsiatori d’ogni etá e d’ogni nazione' (Volume 1). Gaetano Schiepatti; Digitized by Googlebooks, Jan 24, 2007. pp. page 106.