Francesco Gnecchi

Francesco Gnecchi Ruscone (8 September 1847 in Milan – 15 June 1919 in Rome) was an Italian painter and numismatist.

[1] Born into a wealthy family in the silk trade, the artist initially studied law at the University of Pavia before enlisting as a volunteer in the war against Austria in 1866.

He combined painting with the family business until 1878 and continued to sit on the board of directors of major companies in Lombardy even afterwards.

A pupil of Mosè Bianchi and Achille Formis, he focused primarily on landscape and drew upon the contemporary work of the school of Lombard Naturalism.

His large output of landscapes – mostly featuring Lake Maggiore, the coast of Liguria and the Engadin – reveals a cultured artist abreast of the latest developments.