Resumen de Pittori eletti e "bottegari" nei primi anni dell'Accademia e Compagnia di San Luca
This article re-examines some aspects of the early history of the Accademia di San Luca.
Founded in March 1593, the institution was always composed of two bodies, the Accademia and Compagnia. To the former belonged the painters who could prove their ability, in particular those who could demonstrate their power of invention; to the latter minor artists, especially gilders, copyists and painter-merchants. The two bodies coexisted in a fragile equilibrium which was often broken, especially when the Accademici insisted on emphasizing the nobility of their profession, as Paolo Guidotti did at a few crucial moments of the history of the institution. But their wishes, expressed in the Statuti, had little effect on the world of painting in early Seicento Rome. The Accademia at this time did not succeed in having a major impact on artists' training nor was it able to limit the production and trade of works of inferior quality.
