Jan Frans van Bloemen was a member of a Flemish family of painters and draughtsmen. He was also active in Italy and France and was the brother of Pieter van Bloemen. While still in their native Antwerp, Pieter was the first teacher of his brother Jan Frans — who later also studied with Antoine Goubau — and probably also of his younger brother Norbert (1670-c. 1746). Jan Frans was soon summoned to Lyon by his brother and is said to have worked with van der Cabel in the city. It was only once Jan Frans reached Italy, however, that he would be given the moniker "Orizzonte" (the Italian word for "horizon"), which reflected his proficiency in producing panoramic landscapes.

Although patronized by aristocratic Roman families, Orizzonte's ...