Francesco Musante is one of the most important living Ligurian artists. He was born in Genoa in 1950, he graduated from the High school of Art of Genoa and then to the sub-office of the Academy of Fine Arts Albertina in Turin. In the seventies, he enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy in Genoa and attended courses in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara.
In 1967 he makes his first abstract studies and in 1968 began to exhibit his works in group shows, painting competitions and awards. The work of these years refer to Pop Art, the Combine Paintings of Rauschenberg, with obvious references to the United States through written and insertions of objects.
Since 1971 decided to finally start his career and in 1973 made his debut at the gallery Il Quadrifoglio in La Spezia with a collective and personal. In the same year he begins the artistic career as an engraver and in 1983 it entered in the catalogs of Italian and foreign original engravings of the 800 modern Antiquarian Bookshop Dino and Paolo Prandi.
Since 1975, the artist is devoted to figurative painting. Realize, then, a number of female figures, inspired by Klimt and the Vienna Secession, which will be exhibited in a series of exhibitions in Rome, Genoa, La Spezia, Milan and Odessa (USSR).
In the same period comes the cycle linked to reading Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll that will give inspiration to create a comic book that will be published on Imagocritica magazine in 1980.
Then comes the work with graphics and watercolors in which they appear the narrative elements and romance that characterized his work from 1985 to today. In 1987, the Civic Art Gallery at Vezzano Ligure is home to a personal and publishes the volume engraved Opera 1973-87.
During his career he has illustrated books of short stories and fables and has also collaborated, providing its "characters", the realization of the theme song and sets the TV show Zelig 2007.
In 2011 Musante realizes the sketches for the sets and costumes for La Bohème at the Theatre Carlo Felice in Genoa, and in 2013 plans itinerant installation for Telecom Italy: a house sculpture which will be exhibited in several cities in Italy, including Genoa, Bari, Pisa, Milan and Bologna.

Among the most important exhibitions that took part were: Galleria Alzaia (Roma), Galleria La Nuova Sfera (Milano), Galleria Magazine (Prato), Oratorio Santa Croce (Sarzana), Galleria Il Pomarancio (Sarzana), Palazzo Berghini (Sarzana), Galleria Franca Pezzoli (Clusone), Museo Campano di Capua (Capua), Libreria Fogola (Torino), 8° International Triennal of Committed Graphics Arts in the German Democratic Republic (1986, Berlino), varie edizioni del Salon de la Jeune Peinture al Grand Palais di Parigi (1987 e 1988), Interarte a Valencia (dal 1988 al 1990), Biaf di Barcellona (1989), Lineart International Art Fair a Gent (dal 1991 al 1993), The Artist and the Book in 20th Century al Museum of Modern Art di New York (1993), Libri d’artisti italiani del Novecento al Museo Peggy Gugghenheim di Venezia (1994), Rifiuti preziosi. Dal Nouveau Réalisme alla cultura contemporanea (2006, Firenze), L’abbecedario illustrato dei sogni (2007, Castello Baronale di Fondi).