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Italian Artists NicknamesEuropean Renaissance Artists Are Better Known by Alternate NamesFamous Western artists in 13th to 17th centuries have celebrated nicknames more famous than their given names.
By what names are the following Renaissance artists better known:1.Cenni di Pepi (c. 1240-1302)? CimabueCimabue bridged Medieval and Renaissance art with his move from flat and stylized work toward the realism that marks Western art. His reputation for being obstinate is the origin of his nickname Ox-head. 2. Alessandro di Mariano dei Fillipepi (1445-1510)? BotticelliBotticelli, whose nickname means “little barrel,” was a favorite of the Medicis until the fanatic monk Savonarola whipped crowds into frenzies, destroyed paintings in a bonfire, and expelled the Medicis. Botticelli’s most famous works are the Birth of Venus and Primavera. 3. Domenico Bigordi (1449-1494)? Domenico GhirlandaioThis Renaissance master counted Michelangelo among his many apprentices. Ghirlandaio's nickname "garland-maker” originates from his father, a goldsmith who created gold necklaces for the women of Florence. 4. Giorgio da Castelfranco (1477-1510)? GiorgioneA Venetian painter who studied under Renaissance master Bellini and who earned the nickname "Giorgione" ["George the Great" in Italian] for his artistic prowess. 5. Giovanni Antonio Bazzi (1477-1549)? SodomaIt is said that Sodoma jeered at historian Giorgio Vasari’s writings in “Lives of the Artists”; Vasari repaid him by depicting him and his work in a negative light. Today his reputation is still tainted by this harsh depiction, even reflected in his nickname “The Sodomite.” 6. Jacopo Negreti (1480-1528)? Palma il Vecchio Negreti, a successful Renaissance artist of the Venetian school, was heavily influenced by masters Giorgione and Titian. His nickname “Il Vecchio” distinguishes him from his famous nephew of the same name. 7. Antonio Allegri (1489-1534)? Antonio CorreggioThe work of this artist (whose nickname derives from the place of his birth) displays the influence of Leonardo da Vinci and is a unique blend of the High Renaissance and the Baroque, even though "the Baroque" hadn’t yet begun. 8. Francesco Mazzola (1503-1540)? ParmigianinoThis Italian master – whose nickname means "the little one from Parma" – is known for work that elongates the human form, the most famous of which is “Madonna of the Long Neck.” 9. Agnolo di Cosimo di Moriano (1503-1572)? BronzinoFlorentine master and court painter to Cosimo de Medici, Bronzino developed a rich feeling for color as exemplified in his Portrait of Eleonore of Toledo with Son Giovanni (1544) currently in the Uffizi. His nickname may have derived from the bronze color of his own skin or the dark complexions of the subjects of his paintings. 10. Orazio Lomi (1563-1639)? Orazio GentileschiThis Italian painter, originally known as Orazio Lomi, was the father of brilliant artist Artemisia Gentileschi and the follower of revolutionary master Caravaggio. 11. Domenico Zampieri (1581-1641)? DomenichinoThis Italian painter named “Little Domenico” was one of the most talented apprentices of Annibale Carracci. 12. Giovanni Antonio Canal (1697-1768)? CanalettoThis Italian printmaker and painter of landscapes of Venice was the son of painter Bernardo Canal, hence the source of his nickname. Sources:
The copyright of the article Italian Artists Nicknames in Renaissance Art is owned by Suzanne Hill. Permission to republish Italian Artists Nicknames in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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