Francesco Noletti, also known as Francesco Fieravino (1611,

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...

? - 4 December 1654,

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 ...

) was an Italian

still-life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (drinking glasses, boo ...

painter. He was often referred to by his nickname, ''Il Maltese''.

Biography

A native of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, he was first recorded working in Rome during the time of

Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...

; painting still-lifes with , a

Knight of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

, as his patron. Long confused with an artist named Benedetto Fioravanti, who painted similar still-lifes, his works were also often attributed to an otherwise unknown painter named Francesco Fieravino. It was only in this century that the discovery of an anonymous portrait at the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

led to the firm establishment of his identity. He is mentioned for the first time in the inventories of the Barberini family, between 1631 and 1636, as the creator of "six oil papers with various flowers". As late as 1661, a certain "Francesco Maltese" is mentioned as a specialist in paintings with ornate carpets. In the absence of signed works, two etchings published in 1703 by Jacobus Coelemans served as the basis for establishing his style. It has been certified that, as of 1642, he had settled permanently in Rome; first on the

Via Margutta Via Margutta is a narrow street in the centre of Rome, near Piazza del Popolo, accessible from Via del Babuino in the ancient Campo Marzio neighborhood also known as ''"the foreigner's quarter"''. Mount Pincio is nearby. Via Margutta original ...

, then on the Via Laurina, where he worked with

Andrea Sacchi Andrea Sacchi (30 November 159921 June 1661) was an Italian painter of High Baroque Classicism, active in Rome. A generation of artists who shared his style of art include the painters Nicolas Poussin and Giovanni Battista Passeri, the sculptors ...

and got married. His death certificate from 1654 describes him as a "famous painter". His works were much sought after during his lifetime, but he was soon forgotten after his death. He was briefly referenced by

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depend ...

in his ''Catalogue of Famous Painters'', as a "painter of vases, instruments, carpets and still-lifes".

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fieravino, Francesco 17th-century Maltese painters 1611 births 1654 deaths Baroque artists Maltese artists Italian still life painters People from Valletta

Biography

References

Further reading

External links