Carlo Antonio Tavella

**Carlo Antonio Tavella** (1668–1738) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Genoa. Born in Milan as the son of Domenico Tavella, a Genoese merchant, he trained initially under the painter Giuseppe Merati before studying with Johann Gruembroech (also known as Greuenbrech or il Solfarolo). In 1695 he collaborated with the Dutch painter Pieter Mulier II, known as Cavaliere Tempesta or il Tempesta.

Tavella specialized in landscape painting and worked in this capacity for prominent artists including Alessandro Magnasco as well as Domenico and Paolo Piola. He contributed to the decoration of Palazzo Franchi in Genoa and produced works such as *Landscape with Saint John the Baptist*. His style reflects the Baroque emphasis on dramatic natural settings, often infused with figures and atmospheric effects typical of Genoese decorative traditions.

Tavella’s family included daughters Teresa and Angiola, the latter of whom also became a painter. Among his pupils was Niccolò Micone, known locally as Lo Zoppo. He died in Genoa on 2 December 1738. His legacy endures through his landscapes, which exemplify the vibrant Genoese Baroque school, and through the continuation of his artistic line via his daughter Angiola.

Tavella’s output, represented by four works in the museum’s collection, highlights his skill in capturing the Ligurian countryside and integrating it with religious or mythological narratives, securing his place among the notable landscape specialists of his era.