Francesco Fanelli

Francesco Fanelli (c 1590-1653) was an Italian sculptor, born in Florence, who spent most of his career in England. ["F. Fanelli, Florentine"'s "Varie Architeture di Francesco Fanelli fiorentino Scultore del Re della Gran Bretagna" was published in Paris, 1661. (John Harris, "The Diana Fountain at Hampton Court" "The Burlington Magazine" 111 No. 796 [July 1969, pp. 444-49] p 444)]

He is recorded at work in Genoa in 1609-10 [John Pope-Hennessy, "Some Bronze Statuettes by Francesco Fanelli" "The Burlington Magazine" 95 No. 602 (May 1953, pp. 156-162) p 158] then worked in London from about 1610, as a sculptor in ivory — Joachim von Sandrart [Sandrart, "Teutsche Academie" (Nuremberg) 1675, noted by Pope-Hennessy 1953:158).] mentions an ivory statuette of Pygmalion that attracted the attention of Charles I of England — but mostly as a skilled bronze-caster. He made a fountain of sirens astride dolphins, alternating with scallop shells, with putti clasping fish and other figures, for the king at Hampton Court Palace. It was noticed by John Evelyn in 1662, and some elements remain, perched on a high rusticated base, as the Diana Fountain in Bushy Park. [John Harris, "The Diana Fountain at Hampton Court" "The Burlington Magazine" 111 No. 796 (July 1969), pp. 444-449, notes the extensive alterations made to the fountain in the Privy Garden by Edward Pierce during Sir Christopher Wren's alterations under William and Mary, 1689-94. Fanelli's "Arethusa" seems to have been replaced with a classicising "Diana".] .

He received a pension in 1635 as "sculptor of the King". His only signed sculpture is a portrait bust of a youthful Charles II as Prince of Wales, dated 1640, at Welbeck Abbey. He left England in 1642 [Pope-Hennessy 1953:158.] about the same time as his more conservative [Pope-Hennessy (p 161) remarks on Le Sueur's "flaccid Mannerism".] rival sculptor, the Huguenot, Hubert Le Sueur, also returned to Paris.

Royal inventory references of Charles I note him as "ffrancisco the one-eyed Italian". [Pope-Hennessy 1953:158.] Charles had two small statuettes of horses in black patination, and George Vertue noted that the outstanding horseman and connoisseur of the riding academy, William Cavendish, first Duke of Newcastle at Welbeck had a number of Farinelli's horse statuettes. John Pope-Hennessy has identified as Farinelli's a range of bronze statuettes of St. George and the Dragon and other equestreian subjects. [Pope-Hennessy 1953] The tomb monument to Sir John Bridgeman and his wife in Ludlow church has been attributed to him. [Nicholas Mander,"Owlpen Manor: a brief guide" (2006)]

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References

*Whinney, Marcus, and Oliver Millar, "English Art 1625-1714" (1975) pp 115; 121-22.