Francesco Cairo (26 September 1607 – 27 July 1665), also known as Francesco del Cairo, was an Italian Baroque painter active in Lombardy and Piedmont.

Biography

He was born in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, which was also his deathplace. It is not known where he obtained his early training though he is strongly influenced by the circle of il Morazzone, in works such as the ''Saint Teresa'' altarpiece in the Certosa di Pavia. In 1633, Cairo moved to

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

to work as a court painter, including portraits, to Vittorio Amedeo I of the House of Savoy. Between 1637 and 1638, Cairo travelled to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, where he encounters the works of Pietro da Cortona, Guido Reni and of the Caravaggisti. He returns to Lombardy to complete altarpieces for the Certosa of Pavia and a church at Casalpusterlengo. He painted a ''St. Theresa'' for San Carlo in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. Between 1646 and 1649, he returns to Turin, and paints an altarpiece for Savigliano and the church of San Salvario. He is also known as ''Il Cavalière del Cairo'', because in Turin, he received the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus in recognition of his merit. Many of his works are eccentric depictions of religious ecstasies; the saints appear liquefied and contorted by piety. He often caps them with exuberant, oriental turbans. He is sometimes compared with his Milanese contemporary, Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, also called ''il Panfilo''. Ludovico Antonio David, Giulio Coralli, and Pietro Scalvini were among his pupils.

Sources

* * 1607 births 1665 deaths 17th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Painters from Milan Italian Baroque painters Italian court painters Painters from Lombardy Painters from Turin {{Italy-painter-17thC-stub