Francesco Salviati

(Francesco de’ Rossi, 1510 Florence – 1563 Rome)

The name of Francesco Salviati is synonymous with the term Bella Maniera, a highly refined artistic idiom which dominated the art of Italy and Northern Europe in the second half of the 16th century. Salviati was a much acclaimed artist in his lifetime, enjoying the patronage of such important personalities as Cardinal Salviati, whose name he assumed, and Pope Paul III Farnese. He was active in the most important art centres of his time – Rome, Florence and Venice – as well as in France.