Verrio, born in
Lecce,
Kingdom of Naples, started his career in Lecce and was a pupil of Giovanni Andrea Coppola (1597–1659). Several works by Verrio still exist in the
Apulian city, including
S. Francesco Saverio appare al Beato Marcello Mastrilli – his first known signed work. Around 1665, Verrio moved to the region of
Toulouse where he was commissioned to decorate the Château de Bonrepos, the property of
Pierre-Paul Riquet, promoter of the
Canal du Midi. He then settled in Toulouse itself where he worked for the
Discalced Carmelites and the
Capuchins. Today two of his paintings,
Le Mariage de la Vierge and
Saint-Félix de Cantalice, are in the collection of the
Musée des Augustins there. Around 1670, Verrio moved to Paris where he developed an aristocratic clientele and decorated three private houses including the Hotel Brûlart – the only one that still exists today (in private hands). In March 1672, Verrio crossed the
English Channel on the recommendation of
Ralph Montagu (later
Duke of Montagu), who had been English Ambassador Extraordinary in Paris since 1669. Thanks to Montagu, Verrio made his English debut working for aristocrats such as
Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington (
Euston Hall and Arlington House, now destroyed) and
John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale (
Ham House, now a property of the
National Trust), and rapidly acquired the royal patronage of
Charles II. By 1675, Verrio had painted the exquisite allegorical portrait of the King known as
The Sea Triumph of Charles II, and was 'denizened' on 5 May of that year. Soon afterwards he was engaged to decorate the North Range of
Windsor Castle, where he collaborated with the architect
Hugh May and the sculptor
Grinling Gibbons. This was the most important commission of his entire career: twenty ceilings, three staircases, the King's Chapel and St George's Hall for which he was paid the colossal sum of £10195 8s 4d. On its completion, in 1684, Verrio was appointed
Chief First Painter. Only three ceilings have survived the redecoration of the castle commissioned by
George IV during the 1820s. On the succession of
James II, Verrio continued his royal service and decorated
Whitehall Palace (burnt in 1698) and Henry VIII's Chapel at Windsor (destroyed). In March 1685, he was also appointed "Keeper of the Great Garden in
St James's Park". At the
Glorious Revolution, Verrio received no royal protection from
William III and had to leave the court. Verrio, who had worked for the nobility while he was employed by Charles and James, returned to his aristocratic clientele. He spent the next decade at
Burghley House, the property of
John Cecil, 5th Earl of Exeter, and
Chatsworth House, the property of
William Cavendish, 4th Earl of Devonshire. Both are very fine examples of English Baroque decoration, and Burghley contains Verrio's masterpiece, the Heaven Room. By 1699, William finally overrode the
Test Act and invited Verrio back to court. After having worked at Windsor again, Verrio undertook the decoration of
Hampton Court Palace for William. At his death, in 1702, Verrio continued his royal service and painted for Queen
Anne his last royal commission in the Queen's Drawing Room. In 1705, Verrio was granted by the Queen an annual pension of £200 and allowed to keep his lodgings at Hampton Court. Before his death, on 15 June 1707, Verrio painted a series of portraits including his self-portrait, now in the
National Portrait Gallery, London. Verrio influenced younger artists such as
Louis Laguerre and
James Thornhill, and his Hampton Court Palace frescoes (now under the care of
Historic Royal Palaces) constitute a priceless legacy. == Personal life ==