Antonio Bresciani (

Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...

, 1720 - 31 October 1817) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

painter and engraver.

Biography

He was born to poor parents trained under Carlo Bianchi in Piacenza. He moved in 1740 to work in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

with

Donato Creti Donato Creti (24 February 1671 – 31 January 1749) was an Italian painter of the Rococo period, active mostly in Bologna. Born in Cremona, he moved to Bologna, where he was a pupil of Lorenzo Pasinelli. He is described by Wittkower as the "Bol ...

. In 1748, he moved back to Piacenza and engraved some of the works of

Ludovico Carracci Ludovico (or Lodovico) Carracci ( , , ; 21 April 1555 – 13 November 1619) was an Italian early-Baroque painter, etcher, and printmaker from Bologna. His works are characterized by a strong mood invoked by broad gestures and flickering li ...

. He moved to

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

, where he painted a canvas of ''San Macario'' for the church of Sant'Eulalia (parish church of

Sant'Ilario d'Enza Sant'Ilario d'Enza ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northwest of Reggio Emilia. Sant'Ilario d'Enza borders the follow ...

). He also painted a ''Convito d'Epulone'' (depicting an event in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus) for the church of San Lazzaro Alberoni, attached to

Collegio Alberoni The Collegio Alberoni is a Roman Catholic seminary located on Via Emilia Parmense #77 in Piacenza, Italy. The complex also includes a prominent art gallery, Galleria Alberoni. Affiliated with the seminary are an seismic and astronomical observator ...

in Piacenza. He painted a ''Sant'Alberto resuscitates a youth'' for the fifth chapel at right of

Carmine Carmine ()also called cochineal (when it is extracted from the Cochineal, cochineal insect), cochineal extract, crimson Lake pigment, lake, or carmine lake is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminium coordination complex, compl ...

in Parma; a ''St Martino'' and ''St James Apostle'' for the church of Santa Maria Bianca; and a '' Multiplication of the Loaves'' for the church of

Sant'Andrea Sant'Andrea is the Italian language, Italian name for List of saints named Andrew, St. Andrew, most commonly Andrew the Apostle. It may refer to: Communes in Italy *Castronuovo di Sant'Andrea, Basilicata *Cazzano Sant'Andrea, Lombardy *Mazzarrà ...

. He was named the professor of painting at the

Academy of Fine Arts of Parma The Accademia di Belle Arti di Parma (Academy of Fine Arts of Parma) is an artistic institution in the city of Parma, Italy. It is presently located in a wing of the Palazzo della Pilotta The Palazzo della Pilotta is a complex of edifices loca ...

, and in 1777 was made academic of honor for the

Clementine Academy The Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna ('academy of fine arts of Bologna') is a public tertiary academy of fine art in Bologna, Italy. It has a campus in Cesena. Giorgio Morandi taught engraving at the Accademia for more than 25 years. Hist ...

in Bologna.Gli artisti piacentini, cronaca ragionata
by Luigi Ambiveri, Tipografia Francesco Solari, Piacenza, 1879. pages 157-160.

References

1720 births 1817 deaths Painters from Piacenza 18th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 19th-century Italian painters Italian neoclassical painters 19th-century Italian male artists 18th-century Italian male artists {{Italy-painter-18thC-stub