Pier Francesco Foschi

Pier Francesco Foschi (1502-1567) was an Italian painter active in Florence in a Mannerist style. He was pupil of Andrea del Sarto and assisted Pontormo with his frescoes at Careggi in 1536. He completed 3 altarpieces, commissioned in 1540-1545 for the church of Santo Spirito in Florence: an "Immaculate Conception", "Resurrection" , and a "Transfiguration". Foschi was also influenced by and Il Bronzino. One of his pupils was Alessandro Fei [ [http://www.getty.edu/vow/ULANFullDisplay?find=&role=&nation=&subjectid=500016258 ULAN Full Record Display (Getty Research) ] ] .

Also called "Pier Francesco di Jacopo Foschi" or "Toschi". He was the son of Pierfrancesco di Jacopo Sandro Foschi, known for his "Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John". (Utah Museum of Fine Arts) [ [http://www.umfa.utah.edu/index.php?id=MjE&collection_id=19 "Pierfrancesco di Jacopo Foschi", "Utah Museum of Fine Arts", Collection details, May 16, 2007, ] ] .

Foschi is best noted for his portraits painted between 1530 and 1540, including his "Portrait of a Lady" (Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza), "Portrait of a Young Man Weaving a Wreath of Flowers" (Utah Museum of Fine Arts), and his "Portrait of a Man", (Uffizi Gallery).

In his portraits he adhered to Mannerist style, utilizing a slight Contrapposto in the sitter with their head turned from the body. This pose gave the depiction a spontaneity and sense of movement for the innovative Mannerists, but was eventually so formulaic that it lost its intention of originality. Foschi’ "Portrait of a Lady" and "Portrait of a Man Weaving a Wreath of Flowers", shows an interesting use of back ground and subtle symbolisms to convey the essence of the sitter, while his "Portrait of a Man" (at the Uffizi), shows a more standard portrait depiction of the period.

References

*cite book | first= Sydney J.| last= Freedberg| year=1993| title= Painting in Italy, 1500-1600| chapter= | editor= Pelican History of Art| others= | pages=p. 464|publisher= Penguin Books

External links

* [http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/f/foschi/index.html Works of Pierfrancesco di Jacopo Foschi at "Web Gallery of Art"]
* [http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/foschi_pierfrancesco.html Links to images and information about Foschi at www.artcyclopedia.com]