Petrazzi, Astolfo

Petrazzi, Astolfo a painter of Siena, was born about 1590. He studied successively under Francesco Vanni, the younger Salimbeni, and Pietro Somi. He acquired distinction, and executed many works for the churches and public edifices of his native city, as well as for the private collections. He also opened an academy there, which was much frequented by the artists of Siena, and honored by the attendance of Borgognone, who stopped some months with Petrazzi before he proceeded to Rome. Lanzi says that Petrazzi seemed to have adhered more to the manner of Vanni than any other master. He frequently aims at pleasing, and not unfrequently chose his models from the schools of Upper Italy. His Marriage Feast at Cana brings Paul the Veronese strongly to our recollection. Petrazzi's Communion of St. Jerome, at the Agostiniani, is painted much after the manner of Caracci. Petrazzi excelled in painting children, and his pictures are generally adorned with choirs of angels. His cabinet pictures are ingeniously composed, and have a lively and pleasing effect. His pictures of the Four Seasons, at Volte. a seat of the noble family of Chigi, are admired for the playfulness and elegance of the groups of Cupids introduced. He died in 1663.