Francesco Monti Detto Il Brescianino Delle Battaglie Biography
Francesco Monti (Brescia, 1646 – Parma, 1712 or 1703) was an Italian painter. Francesco Monti from Brescia, known as the Brescianino of the Battles, was a pupil of Pietro Ricchi, known as the Lucchese, and of Jacques Courtois, known as the Borgognone of the Battles. He painted in various Italian cities, such as Genoa, Rome, Venice, where he had the opportunity to see the works of Johann Elismann (1604-1698) and Brisighello (1679-1750), Naples, where he met the works of Salvator Rosa and in Germany, and finally stopped in Parma, where he established a school. Among his students we remember Giovanni Canti, Ilario Spolverini, Angiolo Everardi known as il Fiamminghino, Lorenzo Comendich. One of his sons, Giuseppe, also followed in his footsteps as a battle painter, however he did not reach the master's skill, being inferior in his use of colour. In 1670 he was in Piacenza, as evidenced by the engraving of his name in the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria di Campagna. He worked for the ducal court of Parma and in 1681 he permanently entered the service of the Farnese family, remaining there until 1695. Monti's paintings are characterized by large spaces «that are lost among the smoke and dust», by the tangle of armed men in the foreground with unhorsed knights and horses rearing in the last moment of life. In addition to the battles, he painted religious and marine themed paintings in which the influence of Pieter Mulier, known as Tempesta, with whom he was a friend, can be seen. His works are not rare, but are often classified as belonging to the Borgognone school.
