Alberto Fontana was born at Modena and was first active about the year 1537. He was a fellow-student with

Niccolò dell'Abbate Niccolò dell'Abbate, sometimes Nicolò and Abate (1509 or 15121571) was a Mannerist Italian painter in fresco and oils. He was of the Emilian school, and was part of the team of artists called the School of Fontainebleau that introduced the I ...

, under Antonio Begarelli, and in conjunction with Lodovico Brancolini, painted the panels (1546) of the Butchers' Hall at Modena; a work which is mostly executed in the style of Niccolò dell'Abbate. There is certainly a great similarity in their styles, but although Alberto Fontana resembles Niccolò in the airs of his heads, he is always unequal to him in his design, and there is something red and heavy in his colouring. He died in 1558. In the

Estense Gallery The Galleria Estense is an art gallery in the heart of Modena, centred around the collection of the d’Este family: rulers of Modena, Ferrara and Reggio from 1289 to 1796. Located on the top floor of the ''Palazzo dei Musei'', on the St. Augusti ...

at Modena are four figures in fresco representing Vigilance, Prudence, Hope, and Faith.

References

Attribution: * Year of birth unknown 1558 deaths 16th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Painters from Modena {{Italy-painter-16thC-stub