Francesco Solimena (Canale di Serino, 1657 – Naples, 1747) was one of the leading painters of the late Italian Baroque and the most influential artist in early eighteenth-century Neapolitan painting. Born into a family of painters, he trained with his father, Angelo Solimena, and absorbed the naturalism of Francesco Guarino. His distinctive achievement lay in combining the luminous drama of Luca Giordano with the strong chiaroscuro of Mattia Preti, producing a theatrical and personal manner.
He moved to Naples around 1674, encouraged by Cardinal Vincenzo Orsini, later Pope Benedict XIII, and studied the major works of mid-seventeenth-century Neapolitan art. Around 1680 he began receiving independent fresco commissions, and his busy studio came to dominate painting in the city from the 1690s through the 1730s. Early major works include the frescoes at San Giorgio in Salerno and the sacristy of San Paolo Maggiore in Naples, where he painted the Virtues and two large frescoes, the Conversion of Saul and the Fall of Simon Magus.
His style pairs monumental figures and billowing drapery with settings reduced to a few architectural elements, all bathed in shafts of light. Around 1690 he returned to the darker manner of Preti, visible in the Miracle of St. John of God. Later his art moved toward a more restrained classicism, as in The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple and his portrait of Cardinal Althann presenting the catalogue of the imperial picture gallery to Emperor Charles VI.
Although he worked for most European courts, he rarely left Naples. His influence endured through many pupils, including Corrado Giaquinto, who helped spread his manner through Italian painting of the eighteenth century.
Works (18)
This painting by Francesco Solimena, dated 1705, depicts the Assumption of the Virgin, a common subject in religious art in which Mary is taken up into heaven. The available information says nothing more about its commission or composition, so this description is limited to its subject.
A work by the Neapolitan painter Francesco Solimena, dated 1725 and housed in the church of the Gesù Nuovo. The available record offers no details about its subject, composition or technique, so its iconography and commissioning context cannot be described with confidence. Like many church paintings of the period, its significance depends on its original setting and its place within the church's decorative ensemble.
This portrait by Francesco Solimena, dated 1705 and painted in oil on canvas, shows a woman surrounded by objects that suggest a refined setting: silverwork, a glass vessel, a teacup and a jewel-like bijou, all set beside a curtain that frames the scene. The record gives no information about the sitter or the commission, so it is best to describe the work without assuming more. Its interest lies in how the painter blends portraiture with the still life of precious objects.
Scene of the expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple in Jerusalem, painted in 1725. The composition is built around a staircase and a balustrade, with an angel, a whip and a column structuring the space. Combat and beatific vision are combined in a scene of intense movement.
This oil on canvas by the Neapolitan painter Francesco Solimena shows John the Baptist beside a cross, one of the most common subjects in religious painting. The record dates the work to 1730 and places it in the Prado Museum. Without further reference material, it is best to stick to what is visible: a saint identified by his cross, treated as a devotional subject typical of religious art of its era.
Oil on canvas dated 1728 by Francesco Solimena, showing Emperor Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, alongside Count Gundacker of Althann. Its large monumental scale suggests an official portrait, probably meant to stress the emperor's authority and the closeness of his companion. The available information does not clarify who commissioned it or how it was received.
Francesco Solimena painted this history scene in 1706, showing Sophonisba taking the poison brought by her husband's messenger. The queen stands near a throne and a column, which frame the moment in a solemn setting and heighten its tension. Painted in oil on canvas, the work reflects the artist's engagement with tragic subjects drawn from antiquity.
This painting by Francesco Solimena depicts the Adoration of the Shepherds, the nativity scene in which shepherds come to acknowledge the newborn Christ. The assigned date, 1800, is hard to reconcile with the painter's lifetime, as he died in 1747, so it should be treated with caution. It is a religious work executed in oil on canvas.
The painting shows the Greek painter Zeuxis choosing among several young women of Croton as models for his portrait of Venus. Francesco Solimena painted it in 1690 in oil on canvas, and it is now held at the Palazzo Madama. As a history painting, it draws on an episode from antiquity rather than a contemporary scene.
The painting depicts the biblical encounter of Jacob and Rachel at the well of Haran, recounted in Genesis. Francesco Solimena painted it in 1705 in oil on canvas, and it is held by the Gallery of the Academy in Venice. Beyond identifying the subject, the available information says little about its commission or reception, so its interpretation should be approached cautiously.
This oil on canvas by Francesco Solimena, dated 1705, depicts the biblical episode from Genesis in which Rebekah meets Abraham's servant at a well. The available information says nothing about its commission, original setting or composition, so any reading should stay cautious and focus on the narrated subject. It is held at the Gallery of the Accademia in Venice.
This oil-on-panel painting shows the Virgin and Child together with Saint Maurus, the saint whose name gives the work its title. Available information does not establish a date, commission, or distinctive compositional features, so this description remains limited to its subject and support. It is now held by the Museo Civico di Castel Nuovo.
The painting depicts the massacre of the Giustiniani family at Chios, the episode named in its title, though the record gives no further detail about the scene. Executed in oil on canvas and dated 1750, it is a large vertical work by Francesco Solimena, held today at the Capodimonte National Museum in Naples.
Where to see the work
- Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden Dresden · 2
- Gallerie dell'Accademia Venice · 2
- Art Gallery of South Australia Adelaide · 1
- Musée des Augustins Toulouse · 1
- Louvre Museum Paris · 1
- Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City · 1
- Museo del Prado Madrid · 1
- Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna · 1
- National Art Museum of Azerbaijan Baku · 1
- Musée d'art et d'histoire de Narbonne Narbonne · 1
- Museo di Capodimonte Naples · 1
Teachers and pupils
Studied with
- Angelo Solimena 1629–1716
Pupils
- Corrado Giaquinto 1703–1766
Curiosities
A portrait with great resonance
The commission from Cardinal Althann to present Emperor Charles VI with the catalogue of the imperial picture gallery reportedly provoked genuine enthusiasm. The work, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, shows the prelate offering the catalogue, a courtly theme that brought Solimena wide visibility among European courts.