Francesco Solimena was the dominant figure of late Baroque painting in Naples. Born in Canale di Serino, near Avellino, he trained first under his father, Angelo, taking significant inspiration from the likes of Luca Giordano and Mattia Preti. His early style drew on the dramatic light and shadow of Caravaggism, but he gradually developed a more luminous, classicising manner.
Settling in Naples, Solimena ran a large and influential workshop that trained many pupils, and his fame spread across Europe. He received commissions from the Habsburg and Bourbon courts, as well as from churches, monasteries, and noble patrons. Among his notable works are the frescoes in the sacristy of San Paolo Maggiore and the Expulsion of Heliodorus in the Gesù Nuovo. Over the course of a long career, his grand compositions, rich colour and theatrical energy influenced artists throughout Italy and beyond.
He died in 1747 near Naples, at Barra, remaining active and celebrated into old age.
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