Francesco Giuseppe Casanova Paintings

Francesco Giuseppe Casanova was an Italian painter born on June 1, 1727, in London, England, during his parents' brief stay in the city. He was the younger brother of the famous adventurer and writer Giacomo Casanova. Francesco's family returned to Venice, where he grew up and initially trained under the guidance of the painter Giovanni Battista Piazzetta, a prominent Venetian Rococo artist.

Francesco Casanova is best known for his battle scenes and paintings of animals, particularly horses. His artistic style was influenced by the Rococo movement, which was characterized by lightness, elegance, and an exuberant use of curving natural forms in ornamentation.

In the 1750s, Francesco moved to Paris to join his brother Giacomo, who was living there at the time. There, he came into contact with a more cosmopolitan art scene and eventually became a pupil of the battle painter Charles Parrocel. His skills and distinct style led to his admission to the prestigious Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1757, and he later became an official painter for King Louis XV.

Casanova’s reputation grew as he produced a number of successful works, which often depicted cavalry skirmishes and military campaigns, resonating with the French aristocracy's taste for such themes. Despite his success, he led a somewhat itinerant life, moving between France, Germany, and Austria, where he worked for various European courts.

Late in his life, Francesco Casanova faced financial difficulties and a decline in popularity. He moved to Vienna in 1783, where he continued to paint but never regained his former success. He lived there until his death on July 8, 1803. Today, Francesco Giuseppe Casanova's works are held in various art collections across Europe, and he is remembered as a talented artist who made significant contributions to 18th-century European battle painting.