Domenico Alfani

File:Eterno benedicente dalla pala baglioni.jpg

Eternal Blessing, initially attributed to Raphael but later determined to be by Domenico Alfani, 1507

Domenico Alfani (c. 1479-1480 – c. 1553) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active chiefly in his native Perugia.

Life

He was a contemporary of Raphael, with whom he studied in the school of Pietro Perugino. The two artists were close friends, and the influence of Raphael is so evident in the works of Alfano that they have frequently been attributed to the more famous artist. Towards the close of his life Alfani gradually changed his style and approximated to that of the later Florentine school. The date of his death, according to some, was 1540, while others say he was alive in 1553. Pictures by Alfani may be seen in collections at Florence and in several churches in Perugia.

His son, Orazio Alfani, was also a prominent painter in Perugia, and founder of the academy of painting in that city.