(b Bologna, 15 May 1628; d Forlì, 6 Sept. 1719). Bolognese painter. He was a pupil of Francesco Albani, but his style was more influenced by Domenichino and Guido Reni, and he became the main force in upholding the tradition of Bolognese classicism into the 18th century; his sweetness and grace also show his admiration for Correggio. He was a slow-working perfectionist, but he employed numerous assistants in his decorative commissions. Most of his work was religious, but he also painted mythological subjects and several self-portraits. He had an international reputation and was so highly regarded by his fellow artists in Bologna that when the Accademia Clementina, the city's first municipal art academy, was founded in 1709, he was appointed director for life.