Crescenzio Onofri

Crescenzio Onofri or Crescenzio d'Onofri (Rome, 23 May 1634 – Florence, 1712/1714) was an Italian landscape painter, draughtsman and engraver who worked in Rome and Florence. A presumed pupil of Gaspard Dughet, he collaborated with many specialist figure painters of his time.

Life Information about Onofri's early life is scarce. Crescenzio Onofri was born in Rome, but the date of his birth is not entirely clear, and dates vary from 1630 to 1650.

Onofri is believed to have been one of the few pupils of Gaspard Dughet. Dughet was a painter of French descent who spent his whole life in Italy, where he became a pupil of Nicolas Poussin and a prominent landscape painter of the Roman Campagna.

Onofri worked in Rome for at least 20 years. He was involved in many decorative projects in the residences of prominent Roman families such as Pamphili, Rospigliosi, Pallavicini and Colonna families. In 1675, he was listed as a member of the Accademia di San Luca, one of the most prestigious organisations of artists in Rome.

Onofri moved to Florence but art historians are not unanimous about the date of this move. Some place his transfer to Florence as early as 1689, and others in 1696.

He worked until his death in circa 1712 in the service of the Grand Duke. In this period, he is known to have collaborated with various artists who painted the figures in his landscapes, including Livio Mehus, Francesco Petrucci and Alessandro Magnasco.

The numerous drawings by his hand demonstrate that Onofri was familiar with the works of the Bolognese artist Giovanni Francesco Grimaldi, particularly in his meticulous technique of representing the foliage of trees. In his later years, the artist evolved towards a looser and more painterly style.