Giovan Battista Amendola was a considered a child prodigy. He became a student of Tommaso Solari and Tito Angelini in Naples at a very young age. He then studied in both Rome and Paris, and finally in 1879 he moved to England where he lived in London till 1884. He exhibited regularly in Naples and at the Royal Academy from 1879 to 1886 with great success. In 1884 the celebrated painter Alma-Tadema exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery a fine portrait depicting Amendola working on a silver statuette of Mrs Alma-Tadema. In addition, his relationship with Frederick Leighton elevated Amendola to great importance in artistic circles of London society and the two artists collaborated on many artistic projects. Amendola died at the young age of 39 after he returned to Italy