ALBANI, FRANCESCO

(1578-1660)

    One of the members of the Carracci School, Albani achieved great fame during his lifetime and well into the 18th century, especially in France where his idyllic landscapes were well admired. He began his training in Bologna with the Flemish master Denys Calvaert, but later moved to the Carracci Academy to study under Ludovico Carracci. In 1601, he moved to Rome, where he lived with Guido Reni and acted as assistant to Ludovico's brother, Annibale. Albani returned to Bologna in 1617 and there he ran a successful workshop until his death. One of his most successful compositions is the Triumph of Diana (c. 1618; Rome, Galleria Borghese), part of a series of four pictures commissioned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, a work with dainty figures in elegant poses set against a lush landscape. These types of images by Albani were influential in the development of French Rococo painting.