Frans Geffels, known in Italy as Francesco Geffels was a Flemish painter, printmaker, architect, stage designer and designer of ephemeral structures for solemn and festive occasions.
31 Facts About Frans Geffels
2.
Frans Geffels worked on projects for the local aristocratic class of Mantua.
3.
Frans Geffels created portraits, history subjects, military scenes, architectural scenes and genre art, in particular merry companies.
4.
Frans Geffels was born in Antwerp as the son of a laborer in a sugar refinery and a mother who operated a cheese shop.
5.
Frans Geffels was likely recruited to work in Mantua in 1659, by his fellow Flemish painter and architect Daniel van den Dyck.
6.
Frans Geffels returned to Mantua where he became, like van den Dyck before him, prefetto delle fabbriche of the duke of Mantua in 1663.
7.
Frans Geffels took the place of his compatriot van den Dyck had died in the previous year.
8.
Frans Geffels was described in official records as an artist who was skilled in creating devices for the theatre.
9.
Frans Geffels remained in the service of the Dukes of Mantua for 30 years.
10.
Frans Geffels worked in 1667 in Vienna on commissions for Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein.
11.
The folio de luxe edition of the book holds a print designed and etched by Frans Geffels showing the opera's performance with Emperor Leopold I and his bride in attendance.
12.
Frans Geffels had himself worked on the illusionist ceiling paintings for the court theatre, which are shown in the print.
13.
Frans Geffels was commissioned to design and construct a funeral monument that was set up in the middle of the church during the mass.
14.
Frans Geffels created frescoes in the palace and had the sculptor Gian Battista Barberini provide sculptured decoration of the facade and interior of the palace.
15.
Frans Geffels was buried in the Church of San Martino which he had himself redesigned.
16.
Frans Geffels was the last prefetto delle fabbriche of the duke of Mantua as the role was split over multiple persons after his death.
17.
Frans Geffels painted portraits, history subjects, military scenes, architectural scenes and genre scenes such as merry companies.
18.
Frans Geffels is in particular known for his perspective views of two important military battles against Turkish forces: the Relief of Vienna and the Retaking of Buda.
19.
Frans Geffels painted some paintings of the humbler classes of society, which recalls the paintings of the Bamboccianti.
20.
The work with its complex perspective of the tunnel grotto demonstrates how Frans Geffels was able to put his skill as an architect and theatrical designer to good use in his paintings.
21.
Frans Geffels painted an Altarpiece of the Christian Doctrine in the church of San Martino in Mantua.
22.
Frans Geffels further painted on the ceiling of a room in the Palazzo Valenti-Gonzaga a series of frescoes on the theme of the Prodigal Son.
23.
Frans Geffels collaborated on the publication Historia di Leopoldo Cesare written by Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato and published in Vienna by the Flemish publisher from Antwerp Johann Baptist Hacque.
24.
Frans Geffels is mainly remembered for his architectural projects in Mantua.
25.
Frans Geffels demonstrated in his designs a solid grasp of the technical aspects of architectural design.
26.
The first palace in Mantua for which Frans Geffels made the designs was the Palazzo Gonzaga di Vescovato in Portiolo on which he worked in 1662.
27.
Frans Geffels was involved in the redesign of various other buildings including the villa of his friend Francesco Zanetti in Montanara, Zanetti's town house in via Corridoni, his own house, the Rabbi's House and the Church of San Martino in Mantua.
28.
Frans Geffels' contribution is situated in the interior of the palace.
29.
Frans Geffels reworked the facade of the inner courtyard, which included a statue of Jove and painted decorations combined with stucco reliefs.
30.
Frans Geffels created in some of the reception halls frescoes of battles: one of the two reception halls is named after the battle of Belgrade against the Turks, in which the owner of the palace was a participant.
31.
Frans Geffels designed an artificial natural environment, decorated with wells, stalactite caves, mythological sculptures for the palace.