URBINI, Francesco

Francesco Urbini was an Italian ceramicist active in Gubbio and Deruta in the 1530s. He was working in Gubbio between around 1531 and 1536. He was influenced by one of the most prolific painters of the 1530s, Francesco Xanto Avelli da Rovigo.

In Deruta daily-use objects: jugs, bowls and dishes with geometrical and zoomorphic decorations were produced from the fourteenth century. In the sixteenth century maiolicaGLOSSARYTin-glazed earthenware, particularly such ware produced in Italy. The term originally referred to the island of Majorca (or an alternate theory has it referring to Malaga), and designated only Hispano-Moresque lusterware; but since the 16th century it has been used to refer to Italian tin-glazed ware and imitations of the Italian ware. It is characterized by painted decoration of high quality executed in several colours on the dry but unfired tin glaze, generally with a final coating of clear lead glaze. The range of colours is typically limited to cobalt blue, copper green, manganese purple, antimony yellow, and iron red, with white provided by the tin-glaze material. When white is used for painting, it is applied onto a bluish-white glaze or blue ground. The luster is typically a golden colour derived from silver or a mother-of-pearl effect. from Deruta reached its apex of splendour, spreading to the main Italian cities. Artists such as Giacomo Mancini and Francesco Urbini signed works of art of great value. There is a whole repertory of designs with female figures, mythological scenes, battles and sacred images, decorated in many different ways.