Francia II

Francia, II (1450-1517), is the name by which the Bolognese painter, Francesco Raibolini, is commonly known. He was the son of a carpenter, and worked for some time as a goldsmith. His earliest work in painting resembles that of the Ferrarese school, but his later manner, of which there are some fine examples in the National Gallery, London, was founded on a study of Raphael, whom he may have known personally. Francia held the office of Master of the Mint at Bologna, where he was "reverenced as a god." Two of his sons were painters, and the works of Giacomo, who died in 1557, have often been attributed to him.