Antonio Cifrondi: A Quiet Pioneer of Expressionism Antonio Cifrondi (1656 – 1730) remains a somewhat enigmatic figure in Italian Baroque art, overshadowed by the luminaries of his era yet possessing a distinctive artistic voice that foreshadowed the burgeoning movement of expressionism. Born to a mason’s family in Clusone, Lombardy, his early life was marked by modest circumstances—a fact vividly captured by historian Giovanni Battista Visconti who described him as “always poor but full of cheer,” hinting at an inner resilience and unwavering passion for observation that would characterize h…