Born in Monopoli in 1612, Francesco Fracanzano moved to Naples in 1625, where he and his brother were trained in the studio of Jusepe de Ribera. At the beginning of his career Fracanzano predominately focused on religious themes. His first works therefore include, among others, the painting San Paolo and San Antonio Abate Eremita or Apostolo, both characterized by an orientation towards Ribera as well as a strong naturalism.

In 1635, Fracanzano created a series of paintings for the Chiesa di San Gregorio Armeno in Naples, where he picked up on new features of contemporary Venetian painters, which became known in Naples at that time. Other works from the same period prove contacts with the Roman...