Francesco Foschi (Ancona 1710-1780 Rome)

The compositional and stylistic elements of this pleasant snowy landscape, painted in oil on canvas, allow us to ascribe it to the painter Francesco Foschi (Ancona, 1710 - Rome, 1780), who became famous for his evocative winter panoramas. From Ancona and of noble origins, Francesco trained in the workshop of Francesco Mancini in Fano and at the beginning of his career Foschi enjoyed the protection of Count Raimondo Bonaccorsi. In 1729 the artist's family moved to Rome, where the nineteen-year-old Francesco developed a keen interest in the topographical views of Panini and Vanvitelli. It was around the middle of the century that Foschi began to dedicate himself to landscape painting, specializing in views of countryside and winter landscapes like ours, a genre already widespread in Flanders since the sixteenth century. Foschi's winter panoramas, in particular, often portray glimpses of his Apennines, enjoying great success especially among the rich foreigners who traveled the Italian peninsula from north to south during their Grand Tour. Many of his canvases found their way to the English market or French, the latter in particular proving particularly favorable to his production, where he was known in his pictorial maturity as «Chevalier Foschi». Recurring in Foschi's paintings is the bare tree in the foreground, covered in snow, which almost constitutes a signature of the artist.

cm. 59x50 including frame