Francia, Francesco

(born 1450, Bologna—died Jan. 5, 1517/18, Bologna) Italian Renaissance artist, the major Bolognese painter of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was originally a goldsmith. His early works were influenced by the Ferrarese painter Lorenzo Costa (c. 1460–1535), though the strongest influences on his style were the works of Perugino and Raphael. His workshop produced numerous sweet, excessively refined Madonnas; he also specialized in portraiture.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica