Francesco Paolo Michetti Portrait Paintings

Francesco Paolo Michetti was an esteemed, multifaceted Italian painter of the 19th century who specialized in historical subjects, genre painting and landscapes. His ability to master many different media, such as watercolors, tempera and pastels, made him one of the most respected Italian painters of the 19th century. Michetti was awarded a stipend by his home province of Chieti to study at the Istituto di Belle Arti di Napoli (Institute of Fine Arts in Naples) in 1868 under noted painter Domenico Morelli. After being forced to withdraw, Michetti moved to Paris, where he debuted his work at the Paris Salon of 1872. His artistic debut in Naples, where he displayed his energetic and colorful work La Processione del Corpus Domini (The Procession of Corpus Christi), propelled him to international fame and he soon became an artistic celebrity. Michetti’s works, while all vivacious and full of life, vary in subject matter and medium. His mastery of several different media allowed him to dabble in everything from genre watercolors of shepherdesses and children, to pastel portraits and tempera figure studies. His paintings are generally characterized by colorful palettes, dynamic and painterly brushstrokes and the interplay of color and light. During his career, he exhibited throughout all of Italy, including Turin, Milan, Venice and Rome, as well as other European cities, such as Antwerp. Later in his life, Michetti was recognized as a member of the Accademia Pontaniana of Naples, as well as admitted into the Accademia di San Luca (Academy of St. Luke) in Rome. His reputation as one of the most prolific Italian painters of the 19th century remains true to this day.