Loth Johann Carl, the so-called Carloto

The son and the student of painter Johann Ultrich Loth, Johann Carl left for Rome after 1653. In 1656, he moved to Venice, where he remained until the end of his life. Along with Giovanni Battista Langetti (1635-1676) and Antonio Zanchi (1631-1722), they were called tenebrosi, on account of their style, which was a result of their influence from the work of Caravaggio, characterized by dark colours and a stark contrast between light and darkness. Loth was involved with church altar decoration, Old Testament scenes, as well as mythological and historical subjects. The main characteristic of his work is the supremacy of the naked figure; in the male one especially, there is an obvious effort to render the muscular anatomy of the figures, which becomes even more intense through the use of highlighted and dark surfaces. Thanks to his characteristic virtuosity as well as to the popularity of his work with the public, a real “industry of painting” was established in Venice; he also received numerous commissions from kings and ambassadors, as well as for decorative complexes for churches.