Luca Penni - Christ in Limbo - Engraving, Public domain image

Luca Penni was an Italian painter and architect, born in Florence around 1500 or 1504. He was the son of the painter Giovan Francesco Penni and the brother of the more famous painter and architect Francesco Primaticcio. Luca Penni began his career in Florence, where he worked under the guidance of his father and studied the works of Michelangelo and Raphael. In 1524 he moved to Rome, where he worked in the workshop of Perino del Vaga and collaborated with his brother Francesco on several projects. In 1530, Penni was commissioned by Pope Clement VII to decorate the Sala dei Pontefici in the Vatican Palace. He also worked on the decoration of the Sala Regia and the Loggia dei Benedettini in the Vatican. In 1540, Penni moved to France, where he worked for King Francis I on the decoration of the Château de Fontainebleau. He collaborated with his brother Francesco on several projects, including the decoration of the Galerie François Ier. Luca Penni died in Paris in 1556. His work is characterised by a combination of Renaissance and Mannerist styles, and his paintings often depict mythological or biblical subjects. His most famous works include the frescoes in the Sala dei Pontefici in the Vatican Palace and the decoration of the Galerie François Ier in Fontainebleau.