Marcantonio Franceschini

Marcantonio Franceschini (Bologna, 1648-1729), the leading figure and exponent of the classícal style in Bolognese paintíng of the later decades of the seventeenth century, the earlier eighteenth century. He was a pupil of the distinguished Bolognese master, Carlo Cignani - a favorite discíple-assistant in that atelier during the 1670s, - especially valuable to the older master for his collaboration ín fresco decoration (i. e. the decoration in the Palazzo del Giardino of the Farnese at Parma). Franceschini established an índependent practice by 1680, especially through a series of brilliant fresco decoration in palaces in the city undertaken wíth the collaboration of quadratura specíalists (Le. Palazzo Ranuzzi), which culminated in the vast decorative enterprises in the church of the Corpus Domini, Bologna, and the Sala del Consiglio in the Palazzo Ducale, Genova. With these great public worhs he was established as among the leadíng painters in Italy of his tíme. He discovered hís most congeníal poetíc vein, however in the interpretatíon of pastoral subject from Mythology and the Old Testament in cabinet-size paintings, where he perfected the harmonious relationship between the figural compositíon and landscape setting, and created worhs of exceptional elegance and cultívation, which gained for him a European-vide clientele - most notably that of the patronage of the Liechtenstein Prince Johann Adam Andreas in Vienna, - a relationship which endured for nearly twenty years, and produced the extensíve decoration in huge oil pantings for two rooms and a gallery in the prince's Garten Palast at RossauVienna.