Francesco Botticini

He was the son of Giovanni di Domenico, a painter of playing cards, and the father of Raffaello Botticini (1477-1520, last recorded date). The documents call him Francesco di Giovanni. He probably is the painter who entered the studio of Neri di Bicci in October 1459. His eclectic painting follows in the tradition of his master, Neri di Bicci, and after the style of several of his contemporaries such as Cosimo Rosselli, Fra Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, and Verrocchio. The group of paintings ascribed to him is diversified enough and in some cases so vernacular as to cause some question as to its homogeneity. His one documented work is a tabernacle at Empoli, commissioned in 1484 and more or less finished by 1491.