Pietro Longhi

Born Pietro Falca in Venice in 1701, Pietro Longhi, son of a silversmith, adopted his more famous surname when he began his artistic career. His early training included studies with Antonio Balestra and later with the Bolognese master Giuseppe Maria Crespi, known for both religious and genre painting. Longhi initially pursued religious themes, with his first major documented work being an altarpiece for the church of San Pellegrino in 1732, and frescoes in Ca' Sagredo in 173…