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Francesco Maria Schiaffino (1688 – 3 January 1763) was an Italian sculptor of the

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

, or late-

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

, mainly active in his native city of

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

. Born into a family of sculptors, including his older brother

Bernardo Schiaffino Bernardo Schiaffino (1678 – 6 May 1725) was an Italian sculptor of the Baroque period, active mainly in his natal city of Genoa. He was one of two sculptors in his family, along with his younger brother Francesco Maria Schiaffino. He trained w ...

. In 1721–24, he apprenticed in the Roman studio of

Camillo Rusconi Camillo Rusconi (14 July 1658 – 8 December 1728) was an Italian sculptor of the late Baroque in Rome. His style displays both features of Baroque and Neoclassicism. He has been described as a Carlo Maratta in marble. Biography Early life and ...

. Returning to Genoa, he executed such works as ''St Dominic'' for the

Teatro Carlo Felice The Teatro Carlo Felice is the principal opera house of Genoa, Italy, used for performances of opera, ballet, orchestral music, and recitals. It is located on the side of Piazza De Ferrari. History The hall is named for King Carlo Felice, a ...

, and ''Pluto and Proserpine'' sculpted for the

Palazzo Reale This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania {, class="wikitable" width="95%" , - bgcolor="white" !align=center, Residence !align=center, Photo !align=center, City !align=cen ...

. In 1738, he designed the theatrical funeral monument to Caterina Fieschi Adorno for the church of Santissima Annunziata di Portoria, Genoa. In 1739, he also designed wax models of eight apostles and four doctors of the church (modelled after the apostle statues in the niches of

San Giovanni in Laterano The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran (officially the ''Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Archbasilica, Metropolitan and Primatial Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of A ...

by Rusconi and others; these were used by

Diego Francesco Carlone Diego Francesco Carlone (1674 – 25 June 1750) was an Italian sculptor. Life Carlone was born in Alta Valle Intelvi, Scaria into a family of artists. His grandfather, Pietro Francesco Corlone, was an architect of important monasteries in ...

, to execute in stucco for the church of Santa Maria Assunta di Carignano. He had statues sent to the towns of Sestri,

Camogli Camogli (; ) is a fishing village and tourist resort located on the west side of the peninsula of Portofino, on the Golfo Paradiso in the Riviera di Levante, in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, Liguria, northern Italy. its population was 5,332. C ...

, and Albissola.

References

*
Index of works
at Web Gallery of Art.

at Web Gallery of Art. 1688 births 1763 deaths 17th-century Genoese people 18th-century Genoese people 18th-century Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors Italian Baroque sculptors Rococo sculptors Artists from the Republic of Genoa 18th-century Italian male artists {{Italy-painter-17thC-stub