Francesco Fracanzano (monopoli 1612 - Naples 1656) “san Pierre”

Francesco Fracanzano (Monopoli 1612 - Naples 1656) "San Pedro Lienzo" 92 x 67.5 cm Good condition Francesco Fracanzano (Monopoli, 1612 - Naples, 1656), Italian painter active in Naples during the Baroque period. Son of the painter Alessandro Fracanzano and brother of Cesare, also a painter, he moved with him to Naples in 1622 to join the workshop of José de Ribera. In 1632, he married Giovanna, sister of his colleague Salvator Rosa. His early works are little known: they consist of a series of medium-sized figures, executed with a dense brushstroke and a dark color palette, typically tenebrist. These works bear similarities to those of several artists close to Ribera, such as Juan Dò (known as the Maestro del Anuncio a los Pastores). For several years, Fracanzano shared a workshop with his brother Rosa and Aniello Falcone, who specialized in battle scenes. In 1635, he traveled to Rome for the first time, but Francesco continued his collaboration with Falcone. Francesco Fracanzano's masterpiece is his painting "Historias de la Vida de San Gregorio Armeno" (1635), housed in the Neapolitan church of the same name. Later, his art would partially move away from the dominant somber influence to incorporate luminous effects, thus brightening his palette. A painter with a more powerful and classical style than his brother, he also had a son, Michelangelo Fracanzano, who was also a painter. However, none of his brother's works have survived.