Andrea Lilio (1555 - 1642) was an Italian painter born in

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

, hence he also is known as ''L'Anconitano''. He painted mainly in his native city, as well as in Rome, where he was active from the beginning of the

17th century The 17th century lasted from January 1, 1601 ( MDCI), to December 31, 1700 ( MDCC). It falls into the early modern period of Europe and in that continent (whose impact on the world was increasing) was characterized by the Baroque cultural moveme ...

until around 1640. He was employed by Pope

Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...

in the decoration of the library of the Vatican and in the decoration of the

Scala Santa The ( en, Holy Stairs, it, Scala Santa) are a set of 28 white marble steps that are Roman Catholic relics located in an edifice on extraterritorial property of the Holy See in Rome, Italy proximate to the Archbasilica of Saint John in Lateran ...

in San Giovanni Laterano. In the latter, he painted, ''Moses striking the Rock'' and ''Moses with the Brazen Serpent''. Said to have been a pupil of

Federico Barocci Federico Barocci (also written ''Barozzi'')(c. 1535 in Urbino – 1612 in Urbino) was an Italian Renaissance painter and printmaker. His original name was Federico Fiori, and he was nicknamed Il Baroccio. His work was highly esteemed and inf ...

, Lilio created a popular niche for himself by painting

allegories As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...

for aristocratic audiences. In fact, it is altogether possible that Lilio collaborated for the illustrations of

Cesare Ripa Cesare Ripa (c. 1555, Perugia – Rome) was an Italian iconographer who worked for Cardinal Anton Maria Salviati as a cook and butler. Life Little is known about his life. He was born of humble origin in Perugia about 1555. The exact date of ...

's ''Iconologia'', which was a popular source for such motifs for a very long time. He died at Ascoli Piceno. In a chapel of the Chiesa Nuova, he painted ''The Archangel Michael driving fallen angels from Heaven''. He continued to ornament churches and convents of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

during the reign of Pope

Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

. One of his masterpieces, the ''Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence'', was painted for Santa Caterina in Ancona. He painted the ''Christ Washing the Feet of His Disciples'' for the nave of

Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...

in Rome. He also was part of the team active in the painting of the ''Sistine chapel (chapel of Nativity)'' in Santa Maria Maggiore. For the cathedral of Fano, he painted a picture of ''All Saints''. Four new allegorical paintings by Lilio were identified in Milan's

Bagatti Valsecchi Museum, Milan The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum is a historic house museum in the Montenapoleone districof downtown Milan, northern Italy. The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum's permanent collections principally contain Italian Renaissance decorative arts (such as maiolic ...

.*Massimo Pulini, "Lilio allegorista: quattro tele al Museo Bagatti Valsecchi i altre novità," ''Nuovi Studi. Rivista di arte antica e moderna'' 11 (2004/2005): 225-229

References

16th-century births 17th-century deaths People from the Province of Ancona 16th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 17th-century Italian painters Mannerist painters Renaissance painters {{Italy-painter-16thC-stub