Marco Benefial (Born 1684) was born in Rome. He was a painter from Italy who was mainly active in Rome. He’s noted for his refutation of 18th century decorative Rococo styles. Benefial portrayed in his art tangible human figures. He used luminous, warm colors, and is known for his complex treatment of space. Along with the frescoes and altarpieces, he also painted quite a number of portraits. He partnered with some artists who were inferior but subsequently received credit. Some of Benefial’s paintings have been frequently misidentified. At the age of 19, he painted an altarpiece with San Filippo Neri’s Apotheosis. This painting was rejected for exhibition in 1703 at the yearly Pantheon show. This made Benefial to become very incensed and he decided to display in a window of a pharmacist to much commotion.
During his time there was a decree by Accademia di San Luca that only those meeting the approval of the painter's guild or its members could teach drawing. It was also required of students to provide the academy with a fee equivalent to a pound of wax. In 1720, Benefial protested against this decree. He appealed to the councils of Pope Clement XI. He succeeded and had the decree revoked. At the age of 57 he was elected into the Accademia di San Luca. He did not stay there for long. He was expelled in 1755 after denouncing the mediocrity and ignorance of the council members. Among his pupils were Giovanni Batti, Antonio Liozzi and Anton Raphael Mengs.
