Francesco Vanni

Francesco Vanni (1563 - 1610) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in Rome and his native city of Siena.

He was half-brother of the painter Ventura Salimbeni, and the stepson of Arcangelo Salimbeni, another Sienese painter. His stepfather died when Francesco was young, and as a 16 year old went first to Bologna, then to Rome. There he apprenticed with Giovanni de' Vecchi during 1579-80, though like other Tuscan painters of his day, he was influenced in part by Federico Barocci from Urbino, and he was among the last painters who also reflected the influence of the Sienese School of painting. He was named a Cavalieri.

In Rome, he worked later with Salimbeni, Bartolomeo Passerotti, and Andrea Lilio. He was commissioned by Pope Clement VIII to painted an altarpiece for the St. Peter's, later transferred to mosaic, "Simon Magus rebuked by St. Peter". He painted several other pictures for Roman churches; including "St. Michael defeats rebel angels" for the sacristy of S. Gregorio; a "Pietà" for Santa Maria in Vallicella; and the "Assumption" for S. Lorenzo in Miranda.

Returning to Siena, where he ultimately died, he afterwards worked at Parma, Bologna, and again at Rome. At Siena, he painted a "S. Raimondo walking on the Sea" for the church of the Dominicans. Vanni painted a "Baptism of Constantine" (1586-7) for the church of San Agostino in Siena. He painted a "Christ appearing to St. Catherine" for the chapel of il Refugio at the Santuario Cateriniano of Siena, and a "Baptism" (1587) for the former church of San Giovannino e Gennaro. He painted an "Immaculate Conception" (1588) for the Montalcino Cathedral and an "Annunciation" (1589) for the church of Santa Maria dei Servi in Siena. One of his pupils was Rutilio Manetti [ [http://www.getty.edu/vow/ULANFullDisplay?find=Vanni&role=&nation=&prev_page=1&subjectid=500012526| Getty ULAN entry] ] .

His sons, Michelangelo and Rafaello Vanni were also painters. The painter "Francesco di Vanni" was active in the 14th century.

References

*cite book| first=Michael| last=Bryan| year=1889| title="Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, Biographical and Critical" (Volume II L-Z)| editor = Walter Armstrong & Robert Edmund Graves| pages= page 632| publisher=George Bell and Sons|location=York St. #4, Covent Garden, London; Original from Fogg Library, Digitized May 18, 2007 |id= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=K2cCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=Michael+Bryan+Painters+Engravers#PPP7,M1| authorlink=
* [http://www.wga.hu/bio/v/vanni_f/biograph.html| Web gallery of art biography] .
* [http://pintura.aut.org/BU04?Autnum=12.595| Short biography] .