Attr. Simone Cantarini called Il Pesarese.1612-1648. Italian School 17th.Century. Red chalk figure studies. 17.5 by 11.5 cms. Image. 28 by 23.5 cms framed overall.
Simon Cantarini or Simon da Pesaro, "Il Pesarese," was born at Pesaro in the Papal States. Very little is known of his early training he may have been a pupil of Giovanni Pandolfi. He is known to have studied in Venice under Sante Peranda and later under Claudio Ridolfi. Stylistically his work shows the influence of the Carracci and Guido Reni whose Bologna studio he joined in 1634. He worked in Rome between 1640 and 1642 returning to Bologna on Reni's death. A prolific etcher he produced over thirty plates of mythological, religious and allegorical subjects which were much praised in his own lifetime. Recorded as a somewhat difficult individual he may have been poisoned by an angry rival, dying at the young age of 36.