A prominent 19th-century artist, Antonio Ciseri (1821 – 1891) powerfully revitalized religious painting. Trained in Florence, Ciseri drew inspiration chiefly from Raphael and other Italian Renaissance artists. His religious works—permeated with drama and photographic clarity—contained precisely detailed furnishings, architecture and clothing. Ciseri often painted one central figure who looked out of the artwork and connected with the viewer. Also a skilled portraitist, Ciseri received many significant commissions from Italian and Swiss churches.