Born into the humble circumstances of a cooper's son, Mariano Rossi (1731-1807) outgrew his background to become a preeminent painter of classicism in Italy. Amazingly versatile in his work, Rossi's art ranged from the sublime of frescoes to meticulous detail in altarpieces, allegorical, religious and mythological paintings. As producers of high quality fine art prints, we strive to faithfully reproduce the richness and finesse found in Rossi's original works while capturing the essence of his distinctive style.

Rossi's artistic journey began in his hometown of Sciacca, where he received his initial training from Gaspare Testone before deepening his knowledge in Palermo under the tutelage of Filippo Randazzo. Rossi's style was profoundly influenced by Francesco Solimena's painting in Naples before he eventually moved to Rome to continue learning in the workshop of Marco Benefial, consolidating and developing his own neoclassical style. Despite the strict classicist trend prevalent in Rome at the time, represented by artists such as Johann Joachim Winckelmann and Anton Raphael Mengs, Rossi categorically rejected it, highlighting his idiosyncratic and distinctive artistic style.

Rossi's rising fame led to important commissions, including the fresco painting in the "camera degli archivi" of the Royal Palace in Turin, the ceiling of the Biblioteca Classense in Ravenna and the "Salone" in the Casino of the Villa Borghese in Rome. He was also instrumental in the design of frescoes and altarpieces for Palermo Cathedral. Each art print we make of these works is a tribute to his tireless artistry and contribution to classicist painting. In the last year of his life, after the withdrawal of the French troops, Rossi returned to Rome, where he died in 1807. Today, a plaque in the church of Santa Susanna commemorates his artistic legacy. Rossi may no longer be with us physically, but through our reproduced art prints, his art lives on and continues to capture the imagination of art lovers around the world. It is our mission to honor this unique artist and continue to spread the beauty and brilliance of his works through our art prints.