(b Bologna, 14 March 1665; d Bologna,
16 July 1747).
Painter, draughtsman and printmaker. His
religious and mythological works are distinguished by a
free brushstroke and a painterly manner. He also painted
spirited genre scenes, which by their quality, content
and quantity distinguish him as one of the first Italian
painters of high standing to devote serious attention to
the depiction of contemporary life. Such paintings as
Woman Laundering (1700–05; St Petersburg, Hermitage)
or Woman Washing Dishes (1720–25; Florence,
Uffizi) offer straightforward glimpses of domestic
chores in images that are startlingly novel for the
period and look forward to the art of Jean-Siméon
Chardin, Jean-François Millet and Honoré Daumier.
Self-Portrait
c. 1700
Oil on canvas, 60 x 50 cm
The Hermitage, St. Petersburg
