When the apple falls far from the tree

It has been clear for some time now that not all members of our Baschenis painter family were equally talented. We are now further north in the Nontal (known for its apples), in the Soletal and in the Pejotal. The landscape is still really beautiful, despite the many mountains ;-) And the villages are mostly pretty, even though they are ski resorts. This is where the less talented branch of the Baschenis family often ended up, especially Giovanni and Battista. We have theorized that one of them couldn't paint at all (we suspect it's Battista) and the other was only slightly better (that would be Giovanni). Okay, now it's time to shed some light on the family history. There are two branches of the Baschenis family who worked here in Trentino. For each painter, there is an example photo, but it should be noted that neither the family relationships nor the attributions can be definitively resolved.

Baschenis branch one

consisting of the brothers Angelo (who left behind nice paintings, such as a beautiful Ascension of Jesus - note the footprints on the ground where Jesus stood before rising) and Antonio, as well as Antonio's sons Giovanni and Battista, who always worked together here. Giovanni is known for solo works from Lombardy that suggest that the really terrible elements, such as some symbolic figures from the Evangelist, were painted by Battista.

Baschenis branch two

The oldest member here was Cristoforo I and had questionable talent (his specialty was saints that looked like garden gnomes with bulging eyes). He had two painting sons: the also very inexperienced Dionisio and the much more talented Simone I., who left behind very little. Cristoforo II was a grandson of Cristoforo I (his father is unknown), worked frequently in Trentino, and left behind uninspired dozen works that are sometimes more, but mostly less successful. His son Simone II was the genius of the family, as I have explained several times before, whose son Filippo did not reach the same level as a painter - and was the last Baschenis to paint here in Trentino. However, the family was active in Lombardy until the Baroque period.

And now a slight change of topic: Yesterday evening we made the long journey to Eppan in South Tyrol to eat at Rose with Herbert Hintner: haute cuisine and a lovely restaurant to cherish. The owner manages to ground all the demanding BMW and Maserati drivers who frequent this part of South Tyrol in a pleasant way. Hintner is still the same excellent chef as he was seven years ago when we met him - and his son, who now cooks with him, seems to have fortunately inherited his father's talent.