Stefano Conti was an Italian 18th century merchant from Lucca

Lucca

Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...

, known for his expansive collection and patronage of contemporary Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 artists. He began his collection at age 50 in 1705, and utilized Alessandro Marchesini

Alessandro Marchesini

Alessandro Marchesini was an Italian painter and art merchant of the late-Baroque and Rococo, active in Northern Italy and Venice. He first trained in Verona with Biagio Falcieri and then with Calza. He then moved to Bologna, to work in the studio of Carlo Cignani. He is described as gaining fame...

 as his agent in Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

.

While his collection is now dispersed, it is notable because all his purchases were recorded, including price and a description of the art-work by the artist. He also demanded that the subject of each painting be novel, and not a copy of an existing painting.

Among the artists he collected were Canaletto

Canaletto

Giovanni Antonio Canal better known as Canaletto , was a Venetian painter famous for his landscapes, or vedute, of Venice. He was also an important printmaker in etching.- Early career :...

, Luca Carlevaris, Gregorio Lazzarini

Gregorio Lazzarini

Gregorio Lazzarini was an Italian painter, mostly of religious subjects, and those from history and mythology.Born in Venice, he initially trained with the Genovese painter Francesco Rosa, Girolamo Forabosco, and with the studio of Pietro della Vecchia. He joined the painters' guild in Venice in...

, Sebastiano Bombelli

Sebastiano Bombelli

Sebastiano Bombelli was an Italian painter, mainly active in Venice, during the Baroque period.Bombelli was born in Udine, where he was apprenticed to his father, Valentino Bombelli, and his godfather, Girolamo Lugaro. He is claimed by some to have studied with Guercino...

, Antonio Franchi

Antonio Franchi

Antonio Franchi was an Italian painter of the 17th century, active mainly in Florence and Lucca.Born in Villa Basilica, he is also called Il Lucchese. Initially training in Lucca with Domenico Ferrucci, he moved for over a decade to Florence, to work with Felice Ficherelli and Baldassare...

, among others.