Natali, Gio Battista

Natali, Gio. Battista an Italian painter and architect, the son of Carlo Natali, devoted himself to secular and religious subjects. He was born at Cremona about 1630, and was instructed in both arts by his father, and afterwards went to Rome for improvement, where he pursued his studies under P. da Cortona. On returning to Cremona he was employed for the churches, and established a school of painting upon the principles of Cortona, although without many followers. There is a large painting by him in the Predicatori displaying some skill, representing the Holy Patriarch burning heretical books, which Lanzi says is not unworthy of a follower of Cortona. As an architect, none of his works are mentioned. He died about 1700.