Jacques Courtois Detto Il Borgognone Biography
Jacques Courtois or Giacomo Cortesi (Saint-Hyppolite, February 1621 – Rome, 14 November 1676) was a Spanish painter, subject of French culture. Nicknamed the Burgundian of the battles, he came from the Burgundy county known as Franche-Comté (Franche-Comté). He had his first painting lessons from his father Jean Courtois. In 1636 in Milan, he joined the Spanish army and remained there until 1639; then, having a great predisposition for painting, he began to paint, changing masters as the city in which he found himself changed. He studied in Bologna with Jérome Colomès, worked with Guido Reni and Francesco Albani and in Florence with Jan Asselyn, a Dutch painter specializing in battle scenes. In Verona, Florence and Venice he painted works of various genres. Having arrived in Rome in 1640, he had the opportunity to see the "Battle of Constantine" in the Vatican, painted by Giulio Romano. He liked this work very much, and the years spent in the service of the Spanish army pushed him to specialize in the genre of battles, becoming famous for his "surprisingly true" way of expressing himself and coloring. He later moved to Siena, where he married in 1647 Ana Maria or Maria Vaiani, daughter of a Florentine painter, 17 years his senior, of whom he was said to be extremely jealous. Upon her sudden death in 1654, rumors spread that he had poisoned her. He retired to the Fathers of the Society of Jesus and later became a Jesuit coadjutor brother. Returning to Rome, he lived in the novitiate of S.Andrea in Monte Cavallo and at the Jesuit House. One of the first creations of this period was the series of six battles "won through the intercession of the Virgin Mary" found in the primary chapel of the Roman College. He also contributed to the mural decoration of the corridors of the apartments of Sant'Ignazio (the professed home of Jesus). In 1672, at the request of the Superior General, he prepared sketches for the decoration of the apse of the Church of Jesus, but was unable to complete the work due to declining health. He died in Rome on 14 November 1676. His brother Guglielmo (Guillaume Courtois) was a more complete painter and of good name.
