still life (by 1681) Initially a pupil of
Daniele Crespi, Cittadini moved to Bologna before the age of 20 to study with
Guido Reni, whose influence is clearly evident in such early works as the
Stoning of Saint Stephen, the
Flagellation and the
Crowning with Thorns in the church of
Santo Stefano, Bologna. He travelled to Rome in the mid-1640s and came into contact with the French and Flemish artists living there. This international melting pot gave rise to an original artistic vocabulary aimed at the naturalistic depiction of reality in a vast number of still lifes, landscapes and portraits. He also painted decorative frescoes for the
Ducal Palace of Sassuolo. ==Notes==