Francesco Nétti

Francesco Saverio Netti (December 24, 1832- Santeramo in Colle, August 28, 1894- Santeramo in Colle) was an Italian painter.

Netti was born at Santeramo in Colle, in Apulia, then part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. By 1850 he had completed his school studies and begun a legal career, but he switched to painting, by 1855 enrolling in the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. He also studied under Giuseppe Bonolis and at an independent art school run by Tommaso De Vivo and Michele De Napoli. In 1856 Netti left Naples for Rome, where he stayed until 1860. Returning to Naples, he worked for a time in the studios of Filippo Palizzi and Domenico Morelli. In 1866 he went to Paris, where he formed part of the Italian contingent which exhibited works at the Universal Exposition. He left the city in 1872, having seen the Siege of Paris of the previous year, during the Franco-Prussian War. After the end of that war, he was awarded a bronze cross by the Geneva Convention for forming part of a military ambulance team during the hostilities.

He returned to Italy and settled in Naples. He published various books on art and wrote for several journals, including articles called l'Italia at the Exhibition of Paris; l'Arte in Italia ; l'Illustrazione italiana. He was knighted as a member of the Order of the Crown of Italy, and in 1868 was awarded the Order of Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro; and finally in 1876, became honorary professor at the Institute of Fine Arts of Naples.

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