Francesco Simonini (Parma, 1686 – Venice 1753)
After an apprenticeship with the Emilian painters il Brescianino delle Battaglie and Ilario Spolverini, from whom he learned the pictorial genre that characterized his artistic career, Simonini was active in Parma at least until 1718, after which he moved to Bologna, and then in 1731 to Venice to escape creditors. The Venetian years were undoubtedly the most satisfying for the painter both professionally and economically. In 1733 he came into contact with Marshal Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg, a very important collector.
