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Franchi, Rossello di Jacopo
(b ?Florence, 1377; d Florence, 10 Aug 1456). Italian painter and illuminator. He was possibly a pupil of Mariotto di Nardo, matriculating in the Guild of St Luke in 1424. He filed a joint tax return with his brother Giunta di Jacopo (b 1379) in 1427 in which he claimed that he was not practising his art since he had ‘nothing to do’. He was documented in 1429 as involved in illumination. In 1433 he painted 12 figures of apostles for Florence Cathedral with Bicci di Lorenzo and Lippo di Corso (1357–1404). He worked with Ventura di Moro ( fl 1416–56) on scenes from the Life of St Peter Martyr (1445–6; Florence, Mus. Bigallo). Franchi’s dated works include St Blaise Enthroned (1408; Florence Cathedral), the Coronation of the Virgin (1420; Florence, Accad. B.A. & Liceo A.) and the signed and dated Coronation of the Virgin (1439; Siena, Pin. N.), the last showing an interesting iconographical development with the figures of Christ and the Virgin seated as if in a tomb. He was typical of many of the prolific artists of the early 15th century catering for the Florentine art market in producing compositions based on those of the better-known masters of his day. His style is close to that of Bicci di Lorenzo and Lorenzo Monaco, although his drapery is slightly more agitated and he does not carry through Monaco’s sophisticated treatment of space. His quite strongly modelled figures are often set against flat, decorated backgrounds that negate their plasticity. However, the strongly illusionistic frescoes of a Male Saint and St Lucy (both Florence, S Miniato al Monte) are more powerful.
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