Giovanni Pichler

Giovanni Pichler was born on 10 January 1734 in Naples, where his father, the Tyrolean gem-engraver, Anton Pichler, had settled. He was the brother of Luigi Pichler, who also became a gem-engraver. In 1743 his father moved to Rome. Giovanni was educated by his father in classical methods, and apprenticed to Domenico Corvi[1]

He cut, after 15 years, a Hercules in Combat with the Nemean Lions, a generally admired piece. His gems, both recessed and embossed, are of outstanding clarity and sharpness and he was one of the most sought after engravers of his age,[1] leaving him with a prolific 379 pieces to his name.[1] He also worked in pastel painting.

In 1790 he produced a catalogue of 200 examples of his work.

Johann Joseph (Giuseppe) Pichler, stepbrother of Giovanni and Luigi Pichler, born in 1760 in Rome, was a skillful lapidary.

Giovanni Pichler died on 25 January 1791 in Rome. A portrait bust of Pichler by the sculptor, Christopher Hewetson is conserved in the Musei Capitolini, Rome.

• I. Bignamini, C. Hornsby, Digging And Dealing In Eighteenth-Century Rome (2010), p. 316-317
• G. Tassinari, 'I ritratti dei viaggiatori del Grand Tour sugli intaglio ed i cammei di Giovanni Pichler', in Bolletino del Centro Interuniversitario di ricerche sul viaggio in Italia; 26:1 (2005), p. 11-79
• G. Seidmann, 'The Grand Tourist's favourite souvenirs: cameos and intaglios', in RSA Journal (1996), p. 63-66
• Hermann Rollett: Die drei Meister der Gemmoglyptik Antonio, Giovanni und Luigi Pichler: eine biographisch-kunstgeschichtliche Darstellung (1884. Vienna)
• Catalogo d'impronti cavati da gemme incise dal Cavaliere Giovanni Pichler ... (1790)