Francesco De Mura entered the workshop of Solimena in 1708 and remained there until 1730, so his paintings of the years 1720-30 reveal a strong influence of his master, that fades in later years. From 1741 to 1743 he lived and worked in Turin, where he met the painter Corrado Giaquinto and the architect Benedetto Alfieri. On his return to Naples he was greeted by a broad consensus. He was received at the Spanish court and maintained contacts with several artists active in Rome, in particular with the French painter Pierre Subleyras.