Collection: Francesco Albani

Francesco Albani (1578 –1660) was an Italian Baroque painter, born and active primarily in Bologna. He received his training in the studio of the Carracci, becoming a master of the Bolognese school. His artistic approach was significantly shaped by Annibale Carracci’s classicism.

Albani contributed to major decorative cycles, assisting Guido Reni in projects such as the Chapel of the Annunciation in the Quirinal Palace (1609–12) and the choir of Santa Maria della Pace (1612–14). He specialized in idyllic landscapes and small mythological pictures, the lyrical qualities of which earned him the soubriquet ‘the Anacreon of painters’. He worked in Bologna, Rome, Viterbo, Mantua, and Florence.