born Jan. 26, 1582, Parma
died Nov. 30, 1647, Rome
Italian painter.
He studied with Agostino Correggio 's dynamic illusionism. His masterpiece is the Assumption of the Virgin in the dome of Sant'Andrea della Valle (1625–27), which he took over from his rival, Domenichino ; with its vigorously painted figures floating in the clouds over the viewer, it is a pivotal work of the Baroque period . He worked in Naples 1633–46; his best-known work there is the dome of the chapel of San Gennaro in the cathedral (1641–46).