Discover little-known facts about 15th- and 16th-century artists Luca Signorelli,Gentile Bellini, Barent van Orley, El Greco, and Sebastiano.
Which early European painter –
1. Was engaged to complete the series of frescoes in the Sistine Chapel begun by Perugino and others?
Luca Signorelli
Italian Renaissance painter Luca Signorelli (c. 1445-1523) worked in Rome from 1478-1484 assisting in the decoration of the lower walls of the Sistine Chapel. Signorelli paid great attention to anatomy and, like Michelangelo, carried out studies in burial grounds. He surpassed his contemporaries in showing the structure and workings of the nude in action.
2. Was appointed official painter to the Doge of Venice in 1474?
Gentile Bellini
Most of the works that survive from Italian Renaissance painter Gentile Bellini (c. 1429-1507) are large paintings for public buildings Beginning in 1474 he was the official portrait artist for the Doges of Venice.
3. Was known as the “Raphael of the Netherlands”?
Barent van Orley
It is sometimes presumed that Dutch painter Barent van Orley (c. 1487-1541) completed his art education in Rome in the school of Raphael; however, there are no reliable sources to prove this. He is known for integrating into his work the Italian motifs of the Renaissance and for depicting figures like those found in the works of Raphael. When Albrecht Dürer visited the Netherlands in 1520 in order to be present at the coronation of the new emperor, Charles V, he called van Orley flatteringly "the Raphael of the Netherlands."
4. Often appended the word “Kres” to his signature?
El Greco
Mannerist painter and sculptor El Greco (1541-1614) was born in Crete but settled in Spain and is regarded as the first greatest genius of the Spanish School. He was known as El Greco (“the Greek”) – his real name was Domenikos Theotocopoulos – and he signed his paintings in Greek characters sometimes followed by “Kres” (“the Cretan”).
5. Was appointed keeper of the Papal seals by Clement VII in 1531?
Sebastiano del Piombo
Early on, Italian Mannerist portraitist (c. 1485-1547) Sebastiano collaborated with masters Raphael and Michelangelo. From his association with Michelangelo, Sebastiano favored art that combined the exceptional colors of the Venetian school with the anatomical precision and form of the Roman school. In 1531 Pope Clement VII gave Sebastiano the important post of keeper of the papal seal (“piombino” is Italian for “lead seal” and became the artist's nickname). During the final years of his life, the financial security resulting from this position seems to have contributed to Sebastiano's limited amount of new work.
Source:
Bailey, Colin J. (1995) The Art Quiz Book: 2000+ Questions on Painters and Paintings. Station Press: Scotland.
