Francesco Vanni

Francesco Vanni (c. 1772-80), by Giuseppe Macpherson

Annunciationof theVirgin

Francesco Vanni(1563 – 26 October 1610) was an Italian painter, draughtsman, printmaker, publisher and printer active inRomeand his native city ofSiena.

Biography

Vanni was part of a family of painters, including his half-brotherVentura Salimbeniand stepfatherArcangelo Salimbeni,the latter of whom died when Francesco was young. As a 16-year-old, Vanni went first toBologna,then to Rome. He apprenticed withGiovanni de' Vecchiduring 1579–80, also being influenced, like other Tuscan painters of his day, byFederico BaroccifromUrbino.Vanni was among the last painters who reflected the influence of theSienese Schoolof painting.

In Rome, he worked later with Salimbeni,Bartolomeo Passerotti,andAndrea Lilio.Among his patrons was CardinalCesare Baronio,who introduced Vanni toPope Clement VIIIand later Cardinal Chigi, later PopeAlexander VII.Pope Clement VIII would honor Vanni with membership in the order of Knights of Christ.This pope also commissioned Vanni to paint the altarpiece depictingSimon Magus rebuked by St. Peterfor theSt. Peter's,later transferred to mosaic. He painted several other major altarpieces in Rome including aSt Michael defeats rebel angelsfor the sacristy of San Gregorio; aPietàforSanta Maria in Vallicella;and theAssumptionforSan Lorenzo in Miranda.

Returning to Siena, where he ultimately died, he afterwards worked atParma,Bologna,and again at Rome. At Siena, he painted aS. Raimondo walking on the Seafor the church of the Dominicans. Vanni painted aBaptism of Constantine(1586–87) for the church ofSan Agostinoin Siena. He painted aChrist appearing to St. Catherinefor the chapel of il Refugio at theSanctuary of Santa Caterina di Siena,and aBaptism(1587) for the former church ofSan Giovannino e Gennaro, Siena.He painted anImmaculate Conception(1588) for theMontalcinoCathedral and anAnnunciation(1589) for the church ofSanta Maria dei Serviin Siena. He painted a "Crucifixion with Father Matteo Guerra" forSan Giorgio.

He was active as a printmaker and etched three devotional prints after his own designs. He was further the publisher of a large 4-plate map of Siena which he had designed himself and had engraved by the Flemish engraverPieter de Jode the Elder.He applied in 1595 to Lorenzo Usimbardi for help in obtaining financial support in the publication of the map.

His sons, Michelangelo andRaffaello Vanniwere also painters. Among his pupils wereAstolfo PetrazziandRutilio Manetti.The painter from Perugia,Benedetto Bandieri,claimed to be a descendant of Vanni.

Gallery

• Selected works
• 
  TheFlagellation of Christ,Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
• 
  MadonnaandChildwithSt. Lucy
• 
  Madonna and Child with SaintsCeciliaandInez,Prado
• 
  Baptism ofConstantine
• 
  PenitentMary Magdalen

Sources

• Bryan, Michael (1889). Walter Armstrong; Robert Edmund Graves (eds.).Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, Biographical and Critical.Vol. II L-Z. London: George Bell and Sons. p. 632.

External links

Media related toFrancesco Vanniat Wikimedia Commons