Innocenzio Ansaldi
Innocenzio Ansaldi (Pescia, Tuscany, February 12, 1734 – 1816) was an Italian painter and writer on art. It is not clear if he was related to Casto Innocenzio Ansaldi or Giovanni Andrea Ansaldi.
He started with the goal of a classical education at the College of Florence, but he soon turned to painting. In Florence he briefly worked with Father Alberigo de Vellano, who had trained with Ottaviano Dandini and Sebastiano Conca. Through the support of church and diplomatic patrons, he traveled across Italy. In 1772 he went to Rome and became a follower of Anton Raphael Mengs. Returning to Florence and Tuscany, he painted sacred subjects.
Ansldi was also a writer on art. His works include Descrizione delle Pitture, Sculture, ed Architetture delle Citta e Subborghi di Pescia nella Toscano (Bologna, 1772); Catalogo delle migliori Pitture, &c, della Valdinievole (printed in the Istoria di Pescia); and a verse translation of Charles Alphonse du Fresnoy's Art of Painting (Il Pittore Instruito), published in Bologna in 1820 with a memoir by Canon Moreri.
His writings are learned and full of classical references, often praising art and artists, but they can be hard to apply in practice.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 23:57 (CET).