Francesco Costanzo Cattaneo

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Francesco Costanzo Cattaneo (1602- July 3, 1665) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, born and mainly active in Ferrara. He is also known as Costanzo Cattanio.

He initially trained with Scarsellino in Ferrara, then spent some time in Bologna, where he may have worked under Reni. After the death of his father, he returned to Ferrara. He is described as prone to carrying a sword, hunting, and brawls, and after injuring a soldier, was forced to seek refuge to a monastery (San Francesco) where he was employed, in painting frescoes. One source says he excelled in painting scenes of soldiers and ruffians in combat. In 1654, he traveled to Rome in the patronage of Cardinal Carlo Pio. Among his works are paintings of the passion, a Crown of thorns and a Flagellation (1624), in San Giorgio in the lateral altar of the chapel of the Crucifix, painted after an earthquake afflicted the town. He painted a St. Matthew destroys the idols for the church of Santo Spirito; a Prayer in the garden of Gesthemane for the chorus of the church of San Benedetto; a St. Louis rejecting the Ducal crown initially for the Gesu, later in the church San Stefano. He painted a Flagellation and Ecce Homo for the church of San Giorgio in Ferrara. He painted an Annunciation for the church of Santo Spirito.

[edit] References

• Farquhar, Maria (1855). in Ralph Nicholson Wornum: Biographical catalogue of the principal Italian painters. Woodfall & Kinder, Angel Court, Skinner Street, London; Digitized by Googlebooks from Oxford University copy on Jun 27, 2006, page 43. 
• Camillo Laderchi (1856). La pittura ferrarese, memorie. Googlebooks, 173.