Francisco Preciado
Francisco Preciado de la Vega was a Spanish painter, active mainly in Italy. He was born in Écija, Spain, and initially trained with Domingo Martinez, but he visited Rome in 1733, where he entered the school of Sebastiano Conca. He painted some pictures in Rome, including a Holy Family for the church of the Forty Saints. He was appointed painter to the camera of King Ferdinand VI and director of the Spanish Academy at Rome. He lived most of his life at Rome, where he died.
He became principe of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome from 1764 to 1767.
In 1758, he was appointed director of the newly established Spanish Academy in Rome; he retained the post all his life. He wrote a treatise on painting: Arcadia Pittorica in 1788. His wife, Caterina Cherubini, was also a painter.
He was also a member of the Spanish Academia de San Fernando, and for a time painter of the chamber for the King of Spain. He painted both sacred subjects and portraits. Francesco Manno was one of his pupils.
