Paolo Porpora (1617–1673)

• Was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque.
• He was born in Naples.
• From the age of 15 in 1632, according to a found student agreement, he studied for three years with the famous Italian painter Giacomo Recco.
• Like his teacher, Porpora specialized in painting fruit and flower still lifes.
• His still lifes with fish and shells are today attributed to the period of creativity before his move to Rome in 1650.
• It was there that he met northern artists such as Otto Marseus van Schrieck and Mathias Withoos.
• In 1654, Porpora married a Roman woman and remained in Rome for almost twenty years, until his death.
• He joined the Roman Accademia di San Luca from 1656 to 1658.
• Among his pupils were Paolo Cattamara (avant 1675), Giovan Battista Ruoppolo and the Neapolitan Onofrio Loth (died 1717).

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