Pietro Pedroni

Pietro Pedroni or Petroni (30 November 1744 – 1803) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassic period.

Pietro Pedroni was born in Pontremoli, and was artistically trained in Parma and Rome.

[1][2] In 1785 he was named court painter in Florence, and became rector of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in that city.

Subsequent generations had a poor impression of the man: Saltini in his History of Fine Arts of Tuscany said of him:[3] He was mediocre painter; and he obtained his position by some cabal, and after being placed in the direction of teaching of Florentine painting in the Academy, he did great damage to art.

If the right audience does not find in him an exceptional painter, he was an amazing teacher, erudite in theories, highly eloquent, and most loving in teaching his students.Among his pupils at the Academy were Pietro Benvenuti, who would replace him as director of the Academy, and Pietro Ermini.