Molinari, Giovanni

Molinari, Giovanni an eminent painter of the school of Piedmont, was horn at Savigliano in 1721. He was a pupil of Cavaliere-Beaumont, and executed a number of works of art for the various churches at Turin and adjacent cities. A picture in the church of S. Bernardo di Vercelli, representing, a number of saints, is, according to Lanzi, "well disposed, with good action, and conducted with great care." In Turin there is an Addolorata by him at the Regio Albergo della Virtu; in other places in the state are numerous religious works, among which a St. John. the Baptist, in the abbey of S. Benigno, is worthy of mention. His character was naturally timid, reserved, and modest; and Lanzi says he did not paint history as much as he should. Lanzi does not give the date of his decease, but Spooner places his death in 1793. See Lanzi, Hist. of Painting, transl. by Roscoe, 3:315; Spooner, Biog. Hist. of the Fine Arts, 2:575.