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Historical Artist - Francesco Francia (1450 - 1517)
Born in Bologna, Francesco Francia was initially trained as a goldsmith before turning to
painting in 1485. He created mostly altarpieces for churches in and around Bologna, but he also
produced some small devotional paintings. He was also a portraitist, inspired by the soft style
of Perugino. It is said that Francia died of grief after seeing Raphael’s St.Cecilla
because it made his work look tired and old-fashioned. He himself trained Marcantonio Raimondi
and several other artists; he produced niellos, in which Raimondi first learnt to engrave, soon
excelling his master, according to Vasari. Raphael's Santa Cecilia is supposed to have produced
such a feeling of inferiority in Francia that it caused him to die of depression.
Contemporary Italian Artists
Art Galleries in Italy
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