Luca Penni

Luca Penni (c.1500/1504–1556) was an Italian painter of the 16th century best known for his work in France as part of the School of Fontainebleau. He was nicknamed Le Romain (the Roman).

Life

Penni was born in Florence. He and his painter brothers Gianfrancesco and Bartolommeo were born into a family of weavers. He seems to have trained under Raphael in Florence and Rome and Perino del Vaga in Genoa, settling into his own style before his stay at Fontainebleau.

Luca Penni, Rosso Fiorentino and Primaticcio were summoned by Francis I of France to give his palace at Fontainebleau a daring, delicate and sophisticated Italian Renaissance style.[1] Penni formed part of Primaticcio's team decorating the pavillon des Poêles and the galerie d’Ulysse and also drew cartoons for tapestries – he is cited in French royal accounts between 1537 and 1540 as one of the French court's top artists.

After Francis's death, in 1547, Penni moved to rue de la Cerisaie in Paris and continued working with engravers, continuing his Fontainebleau style in works for new aristocratic and middle-class clients.[1] He also publicised his style via engravings of his secular, religious and mythological works by Jean Mignon and Léon Daven – René Boyvin also engraved Penni's oil portrait of Henry II of France, though Penni's original painting for The Resurrection of Lazarus (engraved by Nicolas Houël in 1555) is now lost. Penni died in Paris.

Selected works

Bibliography

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Dominique Cordellier, "Luca Penni, disciple de Raphaël et maître de Fontainebleau", in Grande Galerie – Le Journal du Louvre , Sept/Oct/Dec 2012, no 21.
  2. Grande Galerie – Le Journal du Louvre , Sept/Oct/Dec 2012, no 21

External links

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