Baldassarre Franceschini

Baldassarre Franceschini was an artist whose documented activity spanned a substantial period across the 16th and 17th centuries, specifically recorded from 1545 through 1669. His extant work focuses primarily on preparatory drawings and figurative studies, with thirteen examples represented in institutional collections, notably held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The preserved drawings illustrate Franceschini’s proficiency in rendering the human form and detailed architectural elements. Representative figure studies include the Standing Draped Male Figure and the Kneeling Youth in Armour. His engagement with classical narrative is evidenced by the mythological subject Hercules in the Garden of the Hesperides. Furthermore, Franceschini created complex sheets integrating different studies, such as Studies of Architectural Moldings, of the Virgin and Child with a Kneeling Saint, and of Two Angels Supporting Frames (recto); Studies for Architectural Mouldings (verso), and the double-sided Half-Figure of an Angel Looking Upward (recto); Bust of a Man in Left Profile (verso).

The conservation of these drawings ensures the legacy of Baldassarre Franceschini for historical and artistic study. Documentation and high-quality prints derived from these institutional holdings provide broad access to the work. As historical artifacts, many of these preparatory sheets are now entering the public domain, making the drawings available as downloadable artwork for scholarly research and appreciation.