Bernardo Strozzi

Bernardo Strozzi (c. 1581–1644), called il Cappuccino and il Prete Genovese, was a Genoese Baroque painter and engraver of altarpieces, portraits, genre scenes and still lifes. He joined a Capuchin monastery in 1598, but left around 1608 to support his family through painting, winning patrons such as the Doria.

In 1630 his refusal to return to the monastery led to his imprisonment. He settled in Venice around 1632, where the doge and the Grimani family commissioned him. His glowing colour and broad brushwork helped found the Venetian Baroque style. He died in Venice in 1644.