Called Lo Spagnolo (the Spaniard) by his colleagues because of his elegant appearance, the Italian Baroque painter Giuseppe Maria Crespi was born and educated in Bologna. Even as a young painter, he copied the Carraccis' frescoes and Guercino's altarpieces in his home town. The 16th century painters had a great influence on his work. In 1686, he opened his own studio and, with the financial support of a patron, was able to undertake study trips. In 1690, Crespi received his first commission for an altarpiece. His Temptation of Saint Anthony is still to be seen in the church of San Nicolò degli Albari in Bologna. In the mid-1690s, Crespi was invited to Vienna, along with other painters from Bologna, to decorate the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy. During his life, Crespi was very successful, received many prestigious commissions, including one from Duke Ferdinando de' Medici, and was raised to nobility by Pope Benedict XIV in 1741. Crespi was also one of the first Italian painters to devote himself to genre painting. Nowadays, his depictions of everyday scenes are to be found in museums all over the world.