Franz Borghese was a prominent Italian painter and sculptor, considered a key figure in late 20th-century Italian art. Born in Rome in 1941, he studied at the Liceo Artistico in via Ripetta under masters such as Capogrossi, Turcato, and Purificato.

His style is renowned for a sharp, ironic vein that portrays the early 20th-century bourgeoisie as a universal metaphor for human vices and frailties. Influenced by George Grosz, Otto Dix, and James Ensor, Borghese populated his canvases with grotesque figures in bowler and top hats, engaged in power plays, military parades, or scenes of high-society life, rendered through a neo-expressionist lens.

In 1964, he founded the group and magazine Il Ferro di Cavallo and exhibited in prestigious international venues, including New York and Vienna. He passed away suddenly in his Rome studio in 2005, while still at the peak of his creative activity.