Livio Agresti

Who was Livio Agresti?

Livio Agresti, also called Ritius or Ricciutello, was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance or Mannerist period, active both in his native city of Forlì and in Rome, where he died. He was one of the members of the "Forlì painting school". He joined the Roman Accademia di San Luca in 1534.

Initially a pupil of Francesco Menzocchi, in 1535 he painted the frescoes of the Eucharist and the Prophets for the Chapel of the Sacrament in Forlì Cathedral, now in the local art gallery, the Pinacoteca Civica di Forlì. In 1539, he painted in the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi. In 1542, he travelled to Ravenna, where he painted the canvas of Bishops now kept in Ariani Cathedral. In 1544, he painted the frescoes of allegorical figures in the Sala Paolina of the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, under the supervision of Perin del Vaga. Agresti also helped decorate the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome.

In 1555-6, he decorated the Gonzaga Chapel in the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia with biblical scenes, and returned in 1574 to decorate the Chapel of the Trinity with more scenes from the New Testament.

The Church of St John Maddermarket in Norwich has an oil painting attributed to Agresti, his The Last Supper.