Francesco Montelatici, called Cecco bravo (1601 - 1661),

was an Italian painter. Artistically his teacher was Giovanni Biliverti and he was also close to Sigismondo Coccapani. From 1629 it appears that he already had his own independent workshop. His first sure work is the Virgin, St. John and angels on either side of the Crucifixion in the cloister of San Marco dell ' Angelico (c. 1628 - 29 , Florence ) and a painting of Charity ( Santissima Annunziata di Firenze ). In 1633 , he painted six lunettes with scenes from the Life of Blessed Bonaventura Bonaccorsi for the church of the Santissima Annunziata in Pistoia , continuing a series begun in 1601 byBernardino Poccetti . He also painted a frieze depicting games for children and stories from Orlando Furioso ( 1631 ) for Villa Corsini a Mezzomonte in Impruneta. He was also commissioned to decorate the library in the Casa Buonarroti in Florence. After his representation of the Fame on the ceiling of the library, disappointed by the constant interference of the client, he abandoned the work, and the panels depicting illustrious Florentines placed on the walls were completed by others, including Matteo Rosselli ( 1636 ). Cecco Bravo was one of the authors of the frescoes placed on the walls of the Vanchetoni Oratory. The oratory also contains fresco paintings by Giovanni da San Giovanni, Pietro Liberi and del Volterrano. A canvas by Cecco Bravo depicting the Aurora is placed in the Palazzo Montecitorio. At the end of 1659, Cecco was recommended by Cardinal Leopoldo de 'Medici as court painter to Anna de' Medici, the wife of Archduke Ferdinand Charles of Austria of the Tyrol. Cecco accepted the job and spent the last two years of his life in Innsbruck .