GIOVANNI AGNOLO

CANINI (1617-1666)  , Italian designer and engraver, was born at Rome . He was a pupil of Domenichino and afterwards of Antonio Barbalonga . He painted some altar-pieces at Rome, including two admired pictures for the church of San Martino a' Monti, representing the martyrdom of St Stephen and of St Bartholomew . Having accompanied Cardinal Chigi to France, he was encouraged by the minister Colbert to carry into execution his project of designing from medals, antique gems and similar sources a series of portraits of the most illustrious characters of antiquity, accompanied with memoirs; but shortly after the commencement of the undertaking Canini died at Rome . The work, however, was prosecuted by his brother Marcantonio, who, with the assistance of Picard and Valet, completed and published it in 1699, under the title of Iconografia di Gio . Ag . Canini . It contains 150 engravings . A reprint in Italian and French appeared at Amster-dam in 1731 .