Background
Carlo Cignani was born on May 15, 1628 of a noble family at Bologna.
Carlo Cignani was born on May 15, 1628 of a noble family at Bologna.
Carlo Cignani tudied under Battista Cairo, and afterwards under Francesco Albani.
Though an intimate friend of the latter, and his most famous disciple, Cignani was strongly and deeply influenced by the genius of Correggio. Cignani had some of the defects of his masters; his elaborate finish, his audacious artificiality in the use of colour and in composition, mark the disciple of Albani; but he imparted to his work a more intellectual character than either of his models, and is not without other remarkable merits of his own. As a man Cignani was eminently amiable, unassuming and generous. His success, however, made him many enemies; and the envy of some of these is said to have impelled them to deface certain of his works. 365
Gignani's greatest work, moreover, the " Assumption of the Virgin, " round the cupola of the church of the Madonna della Fuoca at Forli, which occupied him some twenty years, and is in some respects one of the most remarkable works of art of the 17th century, is obviously inspired from the more renowned fresco of Correggio in the cupola cf the cathedral of Parma.
