Francesco Fontebasso

Francesco Fontebasso was a Venetian decorator in the grand eighteenth century style, painting ceilings, altarpieces and mythological scenes in light, airy colour. His work is close to that of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, whose example shaped much of his career.

He was born in Venice in 1707 and trained with Sebastiano Ricci. He worked mainly in Venice and the Veneto, and in 1761 travelled to Saint Petersburg, where he painted ceilings for the Winter Palace. The Prado holds his Bridegroom and the Foolish Virgins. He died in Venice in 1769.

Abraham and the Three Angels and Antiochus and Stratonica show his typical mix of theatrical gesture, pale sky and rich fabric.