
Francesco Faraone Aquila
Francesco Faraone Aquila was a specialist in the translation of massive architectural spaces into portable paper formats. Working in Rome during the early eighteenth century, he spent years documenting the vast frescoes of the city. While many artists painted their own visions, Aquila focused on the technical challenge of reproducing the curved surfaces of domes and vaults. His work on the Koepeldecoratie met aanbidding van het Lam Gods demonstrates his ability to map three-dimensional church interiors onto a flat plane.
Biography
His technique relied on a disciplined use of line to mimic the effects of light and shadow found in Baroque painting. Aquila often worked from the designs of Raphael and Ciro Ferri. In prints like the Dispute of the Sacrament and the Defeat of Attila, he preserved the compositional logic of the original frescoes while adding his own crisp, graphic clarity. He avoided the soft, painterly textures common in etching, preferring the firm and deliberate strokes of engraving. This approach gave his prints a structural quality that matched the buildings they depicted.
Modern collectors value these prints for their architectural precision and historical accuracy. They offer a window into the scale of Roman ecclesiastical art without requiring a trip to the Vatican. Works such as The Virgin of the Basket or the Madonna and Child in Clouds with Saints provide a formal, classical aesthetic that suits structured interior designs. These engravings function as a bridge between the grand scale of the Baroque period and the intimate setting of a private home.
Notable Works
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Francesco Faraone Aquila prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Francesco Faraone Aquila's body of work.
Dispute of the Sacrament - Francesco Faraone Aquila
From £28.00
Miracle of Bolsena - Francesco Faraone Aquila
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Defeat of Attila - Francesco Faraone Aquila
From £28.00
Donation of Rome - Francesco Faraone Aquila
From £28.00
Assumption of the Virgin - Francesco Faraone Aquila
From £28.00
Madonna and Child in Clouds with Saints - Francesco Faraone Aquila
From £28.00
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See all Francesco Faraone Aquila prints →Frequently Asked Questions
When was Francesco Faraone Aquila born?
Francesco Faraone Aquila was born in 1676 and died in 1740.What is Francesco Faraone Aquila known for?
Francesco Faraone Aquila is known for francesco Faraone Aquila was an eighteenth-century Italian engraver who specialised in translating the monumental frescoes and domes of Rome into precise, large-scale prints.

