CESARE FRANCHI called IL POLLINO (Perugia, c. 1555-1595 Rome) Sacra Conversazione with St. Jerome, the Boy John and numerous other saints. Gouache and gold paint on vellum, mounted on backing board. 15 x 11 cm. Framed. Little is known about the highly original Italian painter and miniaturist Cesare Franchi. The exact date of birth and death are not certain, and his educational background has remained unclear. The in many respects still enigmatic personality of the artist, who was probably executed for murder in 1595, can only be assigned a small corpus of works. But above all, the few surviving miniatures, most of which are now preserved in Perugia, Galleria Nazionale dell' Umbria, surpass most of his contemporaries in inventiveness, intensity and virtuoso execution. - We thank Dr. Luca Baroni (PhD candidate, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa) for confirming the attribution by means of a photograph.