Revisiting Foschi at the Georgia Museum of Art
Pier Francesco Foschi, “Portrait of a Lady,” ca. 1550, oil on panel, Museo National Thyssen-Bornemisza.
“Wealth and Beauty: Pier Francesco Foschi” at the Georgia Museum of Art details the career of Pier Francesco Foschi (1502-1567), who is considered today one of the most notable 16th century Florentine painters. Despite his celebrity today, and his fame during his five-decade long career, Foschi fell into obscurity after his death until his work was revisited in 1953 by Italian art historian Roberto Longhi. Following his death, some of his works were even wrongly attributed to other painters in his circle.
Attributed to Pier Francesco Foschi (copy after Andrea del Sarto), head of a woman, red chalk, Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe delle Gallerie degli Uffizi.
Foschi was born into a family of artists and trained alongside Andrea del Sarto. Although he also painted frescoes and altarpieces, he was better known for his portraits of wealthy Florentine families such as the Medici. Most impressively, he worked on decorations for the marriage of Cosimo I de’Medici and Eleanor of Toledo in 1539, and those for the marriage of Francesco de’Medici and Johanna of Austria in 1565.
Pier Francesco Foschi, “Holy Family with the Young Saint John the Baptist,” ca. 1525-35, mixed tempera on panel, Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze.
“Wealth and Beauty” joins together Foschi’s works from world-renowned museums, such as the Gallerie degli Uffizi in Florence, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, and the Royal Collection Trust in London, that have yet to be shown in the United States. Those works are also joined by pieces from some of Foschi’s contemporaries, many of which can be found in the Samuel H. Kress Collection, such as del Sarto and Pontormo. Decorative arts objects are included throughout the exhibition to offer insights into the lives of the 16th century Florentine elite.
“Wealth and Beauty” is the first comprehensive exhibition solely dedicated to Foschi and will be on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from January 29, 2022 to April 24, 2022. For more information, please visit https://georgiamuseum.org/exhibit/wealth-and-beauty-pier-francesco-foschi-and-painting-in-renaissance-florence/.