He was born in London, where his parents,
Zanetta Farussi, an actress, and
Gaetano Casanova, an actor and dancer, had a theatrical engagement. It was rumoured that his father was actually the Prince of Wales (who shortly after became King
George II); whether for scurrilous motives or publicity is unclear. They returned to Venice when he was still young and, after his father's death in 1733, he and his siblings were placed in the care of the
Grimani family. a very unpleasant time for him, according to the memoirs of his brother Giacomo. Later, he moved to the studios of
Antonio Joli, who was a set designer for the theatres owned by the Grimanis. This was also, apparently, unsatisfactory and he took up studies with the battle painter,
Francesco Simonini. Diderot would later express negative opinions about Casanova's work, but his reputation was already made. His fame soon spread eastward and he received commissions from
Catherine the Great for the
Hermitage, beginning in 1768. Two years later, he produced his four famous "disaster paintings", which were purchased by
Jean-Benjamin de la Borde on behalf of King
Louis XV. In 1771, he exhibited two large canvases depicting scenes from the
Thirty Years' War (The
Battle of Freiburg and the
Battle of Lens) and once again won Diderot's approval.
Personal life in
Warsaw. In 1762, he had married Jeanne-Marie Jolivet (1734–1773) a ballerina with the theatre of the
Comédie-Italienne who was known as "Mademoiselle d'Alancour". Her professional connections also supplied him with many clients. In 1775, two years after her death, he married the recently widowed Jeanne Cathérine Delachaux (1748–1818). The marriage turned out to be a disaster, so he abandoned her in 1783, aided and abetted by Giacomo. He took refuge in Vienna, under the protection of Prince
Charles Joseph de Ligne, who introduced him to
Chancellor Kaunitz. It appears that Francesco was almost as extroverted and entertaining as his brother Giacomo, so he quickly became popular at the Viennese Court. In addition to his paintings, he produced designs for
tapestries and upholstery which proved very lucrative. From 1770 to 1787, the
Royal Beauvais Manufactory used more than seventy of his patterns. He also produced a number of etchings including
Tambour russe à cheval,
Les trois Cuirassiers,
Le Drapeau,
Choc de cavalerie,
L’Ane et le Drapeau, and
Le Dîner du peintre Casanova. Despite his success and his many aristocratic clients, he squandered his money, was perpetually in debt, and died in poverty at his home near
Mödling. The year is generally given as 1803, although some sources have 1805 or 1807. == References ==