thumb|Francesco Francia

thumb|Bentivolio coin by Francesco Francia

Francesco Francia, whose real name was Francesco Raibolini (1447 – 5 January 1517), was an Italian painter, goldsmith, and medallist from Bologna, who was also director of the city mint.

Biography

He may have trained with Marco Zoppo and was first mentioned as a painter in 1486. His earliest known work is the Felicini Madonna, which is signed and dated 1494. He worked in partnership with Lorenzo Costa, and was influenced by Ercole de' Roberti's and Costa's style. After 1505 he was influenced more by Perugino and Raphael. He had a large workshop and trained Marcantonio Raimondi, Ludovico Marmitta, and several other artists; he produced niellos, in which Raimondi first learnt to engrave, soon excelling his master, according to Vasari. Raphael's Santa Cecilia is supposed to have produced such a feeling of inferiority in Francia that it caused him to die of depression. However, as his friendship with Raphael is now well-known, this story has been discredited.

He died in Bologna. His sons Giacomo Francia and Giulio Francia were also artists.

Works (selection of paintings)

Until 1500

  • Crucifixion with St. John and St. Jerome, c. 1485, 52 cm x 33 cm, oil on wood, Palazzo d'Accursio, Bologna
  • The Holy Family, c. 1485, 54 cm x 40 cm, oil on wood, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
  • The Virgin and Child with an Angel, c. 1490, 58 cm x 44 cm, oil on wood, Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
  • Bartolomeo Bianchini, c. 1485–1500, 57 cm x 41 cm, oil on wood, National Gallery, London
  • Baptism of Jesus, c. 1490, 29 cm x 55 cm, oil on wood, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon
  • Madonna and Child with two Angels, c. 1495, 64 cm x 49 cm, oil on wood, Alte Pinakothek, Munich
  • Pala Calcina, 1500, 193 cm x 151 cm, tempera and oil on canvas (formerly wood), Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">

File:Francesco Francia - Crucifixion with Sts John and Jerome - WGA08167.jpg|

File:1487 Francia Die Heilige Familie Gemäldegalerie Inv. 125 anagoria.jpg|

File:Madonna and Child with Angel, by Francesco Francia.jpg|

File:Francesco Francia 005.jpg|

File:Francesco Francia (Raibolini) - Maria mit dem Kinde und zwei Engeln - 1052 - Bavarian State Painting Collections.jpg|

</gallery>

Years 1500-10

  • Madonna and Child, c. 1500, 67&nbsp;cm x 52&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Wallington Hall, National Trust, Northumberland
  • Madonna and Child with Saints Francis and Jerome, 1500–10, 75&nbsp;cm x 57&nbsp;cm, tempera on wood, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
  • The Annunciation with St. Albert the Carmelite, c. 1503–04, 182&nbsp;cm x 132&nbsp;cm, oil on canvas (formerly wood), Musée Condé, Chantilly
  • Adoration of the Child, 1500–05, 175&nbsp;cm x 132&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Alte Pinakothek, Munich
  • Evangelista Scappi, 1500–05, 55&nbsp;cm x 44&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Uffizi, Florence
  • Bishop Altobello Averoldo, c. 1505, 54&nbsp;cm x 41&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, National Gallery of Art, Washington
  • Crucifixion, c. 1505, 246&nbsp;cm x 146&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, San Giacomo Maggiore, Bologna
  • The life of Saint Cecilia and her husband Valerian - scene 1 (The Marriage) & 10 (The Burial), 1504–1506, 360&nbsp;cm x 290&nbsp;cm, frescoes, Oratorio di Santa Cecilia, Bologna
  • Venus and Cupid, 1505–10, 80&nbsp;cm x 49&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mulhouse
  • Baptism of Jesus, 1509, 209&nbsp;cm x 169&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">

File:Francesco Francia (c.1450-1517) - Madonna and Child - 584341 - National Trust.jpg|

File:Francesco francia, adorazione del bambino.JPG|

File:Francia - Evangelista Scappi 1500-05 - Uffizi.jpg|

Bishop Altobello Averoldo A24770.jpg|

File:Francesco Francia - Legend of Sts Cecilia and Valerian, Scene 1 - WGA08179.jpg|

File:Francesco Francia, Vénus et Cupidon.jpg|

</gallery>

After 1510

  • The Holy Family, c. 1510, 64&nbsp;cm x 49&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
  • Federico Gonzaga (son of Isabella d'Este), 1510, 45&nbsp;cm x 34&nbsp;cm, oil on wood transferred to canvas and finally again on wood, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
  • Portrait likely Isabella d'Este, 1511, 44&nbsp;cm x 35&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Vienna
  • Pala Buonvisi, 1510–12, 195&nbsp;cm x 180&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, National Gallery, London
  • Presentation of Jesus in the temple, 1510–13, 201&nbsp;cm x 145&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, Pinacoteca Comunale di Cesena, Italy
  • Virgin and the Child and the Infant St. John the Baptist, 1510–15, 65&nbsp;cm x 51&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, São Paulo Museum of Art
  • Virgin and the Child and the Infant St. John the Baptist (Francesco Francia and sons), c. 1515, 115&nbsp;cm x 94&nbsp;cm, oil on wood, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne

<gallery mode="packed" heights="180">

Federico II Gonzaga (age 10) - Francesco Francia.jpg|

Francesco Francia attributed - likely Isabella d'Este.jpg|

Francesco francia, madonna col bambino, sant'anna e altri santi, 1511-17 ca. 03.jpg|

Cesena - Pinacoteca comunale di Cesena - Presentazione di Gesù al tempio e purificazione della Vergine (1510-13) - Francesco Francia - 2023-09-20 14-43-40 001.jpg|

Francia - madona01.jpg|

FrancescoFRANCIAGiacomoFRANCIAGiulioFRANCIA-VirginandC-Fd105308.jpg|

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See also

  • Adoration of the Shepherds (Raphael)

References

Citations

Sources

  • Giorgio Vasari: Le vite dei più eccellenti architetti, pittori et scultori italiani, Florence 1568
  • George C. Williamson: Francesco Raibolini, called Francia, London 1901
  • Giuseppe Piazzi: Le Opere di Francesco Raibolini, detto il Francia, orefice e pittore. Azzoguidi, Bologna 1925
  • Emilio Negro, Nicosetta Roio: Francesco Francia e la sua scuola. Artioli Editore, Modena 1998,

Further reading

  • (see index; plate 91)