Marcantonio Franceschini and the Liechtensteins: Prince Johann Adam Andreas and the Decorati... Book

This is a lavishly illustrated account of one of the most engrossing episodes in the history of Baroque Italian painting and art patronage: the project to decorate the five state rooms in the Garden Palace of the House of Liechtenstein with large paintings illustrating tales of the goddesses Venus and Diana. The two main protagonists were the then reigning head of the Liechtenstein family, Prince Johan Adam Andreas, and the Bolognese painter Marcantonio Franceschini. This study gives a detailed account of this vast project, based primarily on the correspondence between the two men with a complete illustration of all the works and preparatory studies. Also included are a succinct account of Franceschini's career, an analysis of his artistic style, and a commentary on the collecting activities and taste of the Prince.