Antonio Franchi

Antonio Franchi (* July 14, 1638 in Lucca, † July 18, 1709 in Florence) was an Italian painter and art theorist of the Baroque. In Florence, he is considered an important representative of creating art the generation following Francesco Furini and Pietro da Cortona.

Life and work

After his training, a native of Lucca Franchi has been active since 1674 in Florence. Known as Il Lucchese because of his background painter Alessandro Allori and took along with Pier Dandini after the death of Justus Sustermans 1681 for almost three decades, the role of the most important painter of the city. Because of its dominant role in Florence Franchi had been elected four times to the console of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. Since 1686 he has been intensely promoted by Vittoria della Rovere, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and took the only unofficially existing rank of court painter. His painterly work is covered by numerous portraits of the Florentine nobility (especially the Medici ) and bourgeoisie as well as determined by paintings of religious subjects.

The 1709 completed only shortly before death Franchis Kunstraktat represents one of the greatest examples of the reception of Leonardo da Vinci in the Baroque Represents the manuscript, which today is located in the Florentine State Archives, was published posthumously until 1739 by Giuseppe Rigacci, another issue is since 2002 before.

Franchi stood with prominent artists, art theorists, collectors and scholars in Italy in conjunction, including Francesco Maria Niccolò Gabburri and Pellegrino Antonio Orlandi.

Works (selection)

• Immaculata with Archangel Michael, St Benedict of Nursia and Pope Stephen I in Florence
• Madonna with Child in the Conservatorio di Santa Marta in Montopoli in Val d' Arno
• St. Giovanni Gualberto in the Abbey of Vallombrosan in Reggello

• La Teorica della Pittura, ovvero Trattato delle più necessarie matter by apprendere con Fondamento quest'arte. S. and G. Marescandoli, Lucca 1739

In 2002 he released another edition with a slightly different title:

• Antonio P. Torresi (ed.): Trattato della Teorica Pittoresca. " La Teorica della Pittura " Riveduta e corretta sul Manoscritto degli Uffizi. Liberty House, Ferrara, 2002.