Baldassare Franceschini
Encyclopedia
Baldassare Franceschini (1611 – 1689) was an Italian late Baroque
painter active mainly around Florence
. He was named, from Volterra
the place of his birth, Il Volterrano, or (to distinguish him from Ricciarelli) Il Volterrano Giuniore, and was the son of a sculptor in alabaster
.
At an early age, he worked as an assistant to his father, a sculptor, and then studied with the Volterran artist Cosimo Daddi
. This employment did not make full use of his talents, so the Marquese Inghirami placed him, at the age of sixteen, under the Florentine painter Matteo Rosselli
. Both Francesco Furini
and Lorenzo Lippi
also trained with Rosselli. Within a year, he had advanced sufficiently to execute frescoes in Volterra with skilled foreshortening, followed by work for the Medici
family in the Villa Petraia.
In 1652, the Marchese Filippo Niccolini, planning to employ Franceschini on the frescoes for the cupola
and back-wall of his chapel in Santa Croce
, Florence, dispatched him to various parts of Italy
to improve his style. The painter, in a tour that lasted some months, took a serious interest in the schools of Parma
and Bologna
, and, to some extent, in the Romano-Tuscan style of Pietro da Cortona
, whose acquaintance he made in Rome
. He then undertook the paintings commissioned by Niccolini. These are his best works and the most well-known.
Franceschini was a better fresco painter than an artist in oils. His works in the latter medium were frequently left unfinished, although numerous examples remain; the cabinet pictures are marked by much invention. He painted a scene of Elias sleeping for a wooden polyptych in the church of San Giusto in Volterra. He painted frescoes celebrating the Medici
ancestry for the inner court of the Villa Petraia, using designs by Giovanni Mannozzi (Giovanni da San Giovanni) before his death in 1636. The influence of his decorative style on Volterrano's work at the Villa Petraia is clear. They include a painting of the hunchbacked court jester. Among his best oil paintings on a large scale is the St. John the Evangelist in the church of St. Chiara at Volterra. One of his latest works is the fresco in the cupola of the Annunziata
, Florence, which occupied him for two years towards 1683.
Franceschini died of apoplexy
at Volterra on the 6th of January 1689.
His style is often distinguished by theatrical effects. Among his pupils were Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, Antonio Franchi
, Benedetto Orsi, Michelangelo Palloni
, Domenico Tempesta, and Cosimo Ulivelli
.
Baldassare should not be confused with another eminent artist named Franceschini and of rather later date: the Cavaliere Marcantonio Franceschini (1648–1729), who was a Bolognese.
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
painter active mainly around Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. He was named, from Volterra
Volterra
Volterra, known to the ancient Etruscans as Velathri, to the Romans as Volaterrae, is a town and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy.-History:...
the place of his birth, Il Volterrano, or (to distinguish him from Ricciarelli) Il Volterrano Giuniore, and was the son of a sculptor in alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
.
At an early age, he worked as an assistant to his father, a sculptor, and then studied with the Volterran artist Cosimo Daddi
Cosimo Daddi
Cosimo Daddi , was a late Renaissance painter active mainly around Volterra and Florence. In 1591-94, he participated in the fresco decoration of the Villa Petraia for the Medici family. Baldassare Franceschini was one of his pupils....
. This employment did not make full use of his talents, so the Marquese Inghirami placed him, at the age of sixteen, under the Florentine painter Matteo Rosselli
Matteo Rosselli
Matteo Rosselli was an Italian painter of the late Florentine Counter-Maniera and early Baroque. He is best known however for his highly-populated grand-manner historical paintings.-Biography:...
. Both Francesco Furini
Francesco Furini
Francesco Furini was an Italian Baroque painter of Florence.His early training was by Matteo Rosselli , though Furini is also described as influenced by Domenico Passignano and Giovanni Biliverti . He befriended Giovanni da San Giovanni...
and Lorenzo Lippi
Lorenzo Lippi
Lorenzo Lippi was an Italian painter and poet.Born in Florence, he studied painting under Matteo Rosselli. Both Baldassare Franceschini and Francesco Furini were also apprenticed with Rosselli...
also trained with Rosselli. Within a year, he had advanced sufficiently to execute frescoes in Volterra with skilled foreshortening, followed by work for the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
family in the Villa Petraia.
In 1652, the Marchese Filippo Niccolini, planning to employ Franceschini on the frescoes for the cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and back-wall of his chapel in Santa Croce
Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze
The Basilica di Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 metres south east of the Duomo. The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls...
, Florence, dispatched him to various parts of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to improve his style. The painter, in a tour that lasted some months, took a serious interest in the schools of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
and Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, and, to some extent, in the Romano-Tuscan style of Pietro da Cortona
Pietro da Cortona
Pietro da Cortona, by the name of Pietro Berrettini, born Pietro Berrettini da Cortona, was the leading Italian Baroque painter of his time and also one of the key architects in the emergence of Roman Baroque architecture. He was also an important decorator...
, whose acquaintance he made in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He then undertook the paintings commissioned by Niccolini. These are his best works and the most well-known.
Franceschini was a better fresco painter than an artist in oils. His works in the latter medium were frequently left unfinished, although numerous examples remain; the cabinet pictures are marked by much invention. He painted a scene of Elias sleeping for a wooden polyptych in the church of San Giusto in Volterra. He painted frescoes celebrating the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
ancestry for the inner court of the Villa Petraia, using designs by Giovanni Mannozzi (Giovanni da San Giovanni) before his death in 1636. The influence of his decorative style on Volterrano's work at the Villa Petraia is clear. They include a painting of the hunchbacked court jester. Among his best oil paintings on a large scale is the St. John the Evangelist in the church of St. Chiara at Volterra. One of his latest works is the fresco in the cupola of the Annunziata
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata di Firenze
The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Florence, Italy, the mother church of the Servite order. It is located at the northeastern side of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata....
, Florence, which occupied him for two years towards 1683.
Franceschini died of apoplexy
Apoplexy
Apoplexy is a medical term, which can be used to describe 'bleeding' in a stroke . Without further specification, it is rather outdated in use. Today it is used only for specific conditions, such as pituitary apoplexy and ovarian apoplexy. In common speech, it is used non-medically to mean a state...
at Volterra on the 6th of January 1689.
His style is often distinguished by theatrical effects. Among his pupils were Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, Antonio Franchi
Antonio Franchi
Antonio Franchi was an Italian painter of the 17th century, active mainly in Florence and Lucca.Born in Villa Basilica, he is also called Il Lucchese. Initially training in Lucca with Domenico Ferrucci, he moved for over a decade to Florence, to work with Felice Ficherelli and Baldassare...
, Benedetto Orsi, Michelangelo Palloni
Michelangelo Palloni
Michelangelo Palloni was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, who worked in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1674 onward....
, Domenico Tempesta, and Cosimo Ulivelli
Cosimo Ulivelli
Cosimo Ulivelli was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Florence. He was a pupil of the painter Baldassare Franceschini. He painted frescoes along the top of the wall of the nave of the church the Santissima Annunziata in Florence.-References:*...
.
Baldassare should not be confused with another eminent artist named Franceschini and of rather later date: the Cavaliere Marcantonio Franceschini (1648–1729), who was a Bolognese.