I'm further humbled. I had never heard of this important Italian Artist.
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The Associated Press
November 5, 2001
AP-NY-11-05-01 0817EST
  
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sumptuous oil paintings depicting scenes from mythology, 
the Bible, and pastoral settings by Italian Baroque master Luca Giordano are 
on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 

The new exhibit features 100 paintings, including some never seen outside of 
Giordano's birthplace of Naples. 

``What you'll see are only a few of the thousands of works this prolific 
artist undertook,'' said J. Patrice Marandel, curator of European painting 
and sculpture. ``Just let Giordano seduce and please you.'' 

Giordano was considered one of the most important decorative artists of his 
time, and created some of the most important frescoes and church altarpieces 
in Europe. Artists still were copying his work decades after his death in 
1705. Some of his frescoes inspired Spanish artist Francisco Goya, considered 
one of the pioneers of 19th-century realism. 

Never a starving artist, he produced piece after piece with such speed and 
was in such demand that he earned the nickname ``Luca work quickly.'' 

The display, which runs through Jan. 20, features pieces loaned by churches, 
museums and private collections in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and the 
United States. 

On the Net: 
http://www.lacma.org
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>From Encarta:
 
Giordano, Luca (1634-1705), Italian late baroque painter (see Baroque Art and 
Architecture), born in Naples. He was known as Luca Fa Presto ("Go Quickly") 
because of the speed with which he worked. He studied with the Spanish 
painter Jusepe de Ribera and the Italian painter and architect Pietro da 
Cortona, and his style was derived from the styles of Cortona and Paolo 
Veronese. 

Giordano lived and worked mostly in Naples; he also executed commissions in 
Florence, and from 1692 until after 1700 he resided and worked in Madrid 
under the patronage of King Charles II of Spain. Giordano painted numerous 
pictures, perhaps as many as 5000. His work is characterized by harmonious 
color, charm, and facile invention. 

Among his frescoes are those in the cupola of the Corsini Chapel, Florence; 
Christ Expelling the Traders from the Temple (Church of San Filippo da 
Girolami, Naples); and Battle of Saint-Quentin and Taking of Montmorency 
(Escorial, Madrid). His easel paintings include Venus and Mars (Louvre, 
Paris) and Birth of John the Baptist (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 
City).
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More: 

<A HREF="http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/giordano_luca.html">Luca 
Giordano on the Internet</A> 
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/giordano_luca.html

<A HREF="http://www.initaly.com/regions/campania/giordano.htm">In Italy 
Online - Luca Giordano</A>
http://www.initaly.com/regions/campania/giordano.htm