Francesco Solimena

Francesco Solimena (1657–1747) was an Italian Baroque painter and architect born in Canale di Serino, near Naples. He began his artistic training under his father, Angelo Solimena, also a painter, and was later influenced by Luca Giordano, Mattia Preti, and Pietro da Cortona. He became particularly renowned for his large-scale religious paintings and decorations of Neapolitan churches. Solimena emerged as one of the most important artists in Naples during the late 17th and first half of the 18th centuries, achieving international recognition and training numerous pupils.