Francesco Fernandi (1679–1740), also known as Imperiali, was an Italian painter of the late- Baroque or

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

period.

Biography

Born in Milan, he initially apprenticed with the painter for the Borromeo family, Carlo Vimercati. After a spell in Palermo, of which little is known, he moved to Rome sometime around 1705. There he joined projects of the large studio of painters working with

Carlo Maratta Carlo Maratta or Maratti (13 May 162515 December 1713) was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition ...

. He was patronized in Rome by the Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali, from whom he acquired the last name ''Imperiali''. We know little of his works for the Vatican and the

Ottoboni The Ottoboni were an aristocratic Venetian family, who gained prominence in Rome after the 17th century, mainly due to the papacy of Alexander VIII and his cardinal nephew, Pietro Ottoboni, known for his patronage of musicians and painters. Cardi ...

family.

In Rome, he gained an independent studio, and was apparently popular with visiting British painters, having mentored Allan Ramsay and

William Hoare William Hoare of Bath (c. 1707 – 12 December 1792) was a British portraitist, painter and printmaker. From c. 1740 to 1759, he was the leading oil portraitist at Bath, Somerset, until Thomas Gainsborough arrived in the town. Noted for ...

, among others. Among his Italian pupils is the little-known, Camillo Paderni and the more prominent

Pompeo Batoni Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter who displayed a solid technical knowledge in his portrait work and in his numerous allegorical and mythological pictures. The high number of foreign visitors tra ...

. In August 1723, he apparently backed the litigation and lobbying by the academic outsiders (non-members of the

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its f ...

in Rome) like Michelangelo Cerruti, who sought to liberalize the control over artistic production held by the Academy. He himself was appointed along with his friend, Agostino Masucci to the Academy in 1723. He appears to have mastered painting a diversity of themes and styles, and is described by his biographer

Niccolò Pio Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion". There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The f ...

as having worked in: :''all kinds of the natural things, to perfection, and with diligence, and without academicism, (he paints) all kinds of Animals, and Fish both plural and singular, likewise fruits, Flowers, Cristalware, gold and silver goblets, tapestries, vistas, and landscapes ... Historical paintings and anything else that falls into his hands...''. He painted a large altarpiece for the church of

Sant'Eustachio Sant'Eustachio is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, named for the martyr Saint Eustace. It is located on Via di Sant'Eustachio in the rione Sant'Eustachio, a block west of the Pantheon and via della Rotonda, and a b ...

in Rome in 1720–24. He also painted the two canvases flanking the altarpiece (''Martyrdom'' and ''Decapitation'' of the name saints, in the chapel of ''Saints Valentine and Hilary'' in the

Viterbo Cathedral Viterbo Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Viterbo, or ''Cattedrale di San Lorenzo'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral, and the principal church of the city of Viterbo, Lazio, central Italy. It is the seat of the Bishop of Viterbo and is dedicated to Saint Law ...

. He painted an altarpiece (c. 1730) for the church of San Francesco in

Gubbio Gubbio () is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia ( Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines. History The city's origins are very ancie ...

and a ''Death of San Romualdo'' for San Gregorio al Celio in Rome. A ''Madonana and child of the Rosary with Saints Jerome, Domenic & Francis'' (c. 1732) in Sant'Andrea in Vetralla, near

Viterbo Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early histor ...

, is attributed to Imperiali. In 1735,

Filippo Juvarra Filippo is an Italian male given name, which is the equivalent of the English name Philip, from the Greek ''Philippos'', meaning "amante dei cavalli".''Behind the Name''"Given Name Philip" Retrieved on 23 January 2016. The female variant is F ...

requested eight large canvases depicting allegorical virtues of a ruler for the throne room in the royal palace of La Granja in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. He commissioned paintings from Solimena, Lemoyne, Trevisani, Costanzi, Masucci, Pittoni, Creti and Parodi. Two of the painters had to be replaced. Lemoyne died and was replaced by

Carle Vanloo Carle or Carlé is a surname. Notable people with the name include: *Andrea Cosima Carle, whose stage name is Maggie Mae (1960 – 2021), German singer * Barbara Carle (born 1958), French-American poet, critic, translator and Italianist *David Ca ...

; while Parodi's fees were too costly, and Imperiali was instead awarded the commission for ''Liberality'' or ''Alexander rewarding his officers''.Now in the

Escorial El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial ( es, Monasterio y Sitio de El Escorial en Madrid), or Monasterio del Escorial (), is a historical residence of the King of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, ...

. Clark AM, page 233. Imperiali died in Rome in 1740.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandi (Imperiali), Francesco 1679 births 1740 deaths Artists from Milan 17th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 18th-century Italian painters Italian Baroque painters Rococo painters 18th-century Italian male artists