GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Italian Early Renaissance Painter, 1449-1494
Florentine painter, whose family name was Bigordi. He may have studied painting and mosaics under Alesso Baldovinetti. Ghirlandaio was an excellent technician. Keenly observant of the contemporary scene, he depicted many prominent Florentine personalities within his religious narrative paintings. Among his earliest frescoes are the Madonna with the Vespucci Family and the Last Supper (Church of the Ognissanti, Florence). He painted scenes from the life of Santa Fina (collegiate church in San Gimigniano) and frescoes in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. In 1481, Pope Sixtus IV called him to Rome, along with Botticelli, to decorate the Sistine Chapel. He painted the Calling of the First Apostles, a scene close in spirit to Masaccio. He returned to Florence to work on the frescoes in the Sassetti Chapel in Santa Trinita. He introduced Sassetti, Corsi, Poliziano, the Medici, and many other contemporaries as participants in the life of St. Francis. Ghirlandaio's most famous achievement is his fresco cycle of the life of Mary and St. John the Baptist for the choir of Santa Maria Novella. Michelangelo served an apprenticeship with him at this time and probably worked on these frescoes. Other examples of his art are the Adoration of the Magi (Uffizi); another Adoration (Hospital of the Innocents); a mosaic of the Annunciation for the Cathedral; a portrait of Francesco Sassetti and his son (Metropolitan Mus.);
St Barbara 1471 Fresco Parish Church of Sant'Andrea, Cercina The vivid colour of her garments and the different shape of her niche give greater emphasis to the figure of St Barbara, who stands between the two old men, St Jerome and St Antony. She is holding her attribute, a tower, and in contrast to the two other saints is looking directly to us. Because she was so beautiful, Barbara's pagan father locked her in a tower. She converted to Christianity, and against his wishes built in her tower a chapel, its three windows symbolizing of the Trinity. Enraged, her father had her beheaded. Here she is depicted standing triumphantly on the armor-clad corpse of her father, who has been killed by a bolt of lightning. His hands are hanging down over the cornice, where they are casting illusory shadows. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: St Barbara , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , religious Painting ID:: 63001
GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico St Barbara 1471 Fresco Parish Church of Sant'Andrea, Cercina The vivid colour of her garments and the different shape of her niche give greater emphasis to the figure of St Barbara, who stands between the two old men, St Jerome and St Antony. She is holding her attribute, a tower, and in contrast to the two other saints is looking directly to us. Because she was so beautiful, Barbara's pagan father locked her in a tower. She converted to Christianity, and against his wishes built in her tower a chapel, its three windows symbolizing of the Trinity. Enraged, her father had her beheaded. Here she is depicted standing triumphantly on the armor-clad corpse of her father, who has been killed by a bolt of lightning. His hands are hanging down over the cornice, where they are casting illusory shadows. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: St Barbara , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , religious
Portrait of the Donor Nera Corsi Sassetti 1485 Fresco Santa Trinit? Florence "In two pictures on either side he painted Francesco Sassetti kneeling, and Madonna Nera, his wife and her children, the latter being in the scene above where the boy is raised to life, with some beautiful maidens of the same family" (Vasari). The two donors are in prayer on either side of the altar, as if they are taking part in the Adoration of the Shepherds depicted on the altarpiece. Linking the frescoes and the central panel painting in this way, Ghirlandaio creates what is almost a triptych. Astonishingly enough, the wife, Nera Corsi Sassetti, is occupying the traditionally more distinguished position on the right of the religious scene. At the base is the painted inscription: A.D. MCCCCLXXX. XV decembris. This could be the initial date of the work whose conclusion is in the great altarpiece with the Nativity, dated 1485. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: Portrait of the Donor Nera Corsi Sassetti , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , portrait Painting ID:: 63003
GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Portrait of the Donor Nera Corsi Sassetti 1485 Fresco Santa Trinit? Florence "In two pictures on either side he painted Francesco Sassetti kneeling, and Madonna Nera, his wife and her children, the latter being in the scene above where the boy is raised to life, with some beautiful maidens of the same family" (Vasari). The two donors are in prayer on either side of the altar, as if they are taking part in the Adoration of the Shepherds depicted on the altarpiece. Linking the frescoes and the central panel painting in this way, Ghirlandaio creates what is almost a triptych. Astonishingly enough, the wife, Nera Corsi Sassetti, is occupying the traditionally more distinguished position on the right of the religious scene. At the base is the painted inscription: A.D. MCCCCLXXX. XV decembris. This could be the initial date of the work whose conclusion is in the great altarpiece with the Nativity, dated 1485. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: Portrait of the Donor Nera Corsi Sassetti , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , portrait
Birth of Mary 1486-90 Fresco Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence "... One of (the women) holds the Child in her arms and makes it laugh by smiling, with a feminine grace truly worthy of a work of this great genius, each figure being distinguished in its various expressions" (Vasari). Here Ghirlandaio succeeds in convincingly continuing the rear wall of the real chapel, which has windows, into the depth of the picture, where there is also a painted window. As a result, part of the frieze of dancing putti playing instruments is in the light, and part in shadow. The figures of the nurses are also captivatingly vivid the joy of the lovely woman holding the child lights up her bright face. And the marvelous moving figure of the woman pouring water gives the picture a look of everyday life. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: Birth of Mary (detail) , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , religious Painting ID:: 63004
GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Birth of Mary 1486-90 Fresco Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence "... One of (the women) holds the Child in her arms and makes it laugh by smiling, with a feminine grace truly worthy of a work of this great genius, each figure being distinguished in its various expressions" (Vasari). Here Ghirlandaio succeeds in convincingly continuing the rear wall of the real chapel, which has windows, into the depth of the picture, where there is also a painted window. As a result, part of the frieze of dancing putti playing instruments is in the light, and part in shadow. The figures of the nurses are also captivatingly vivid the joy of the lovely woman holding the child lights up her bright face. And the marvelous moving figure of the woman pouring water gives the picture a look of everyday life. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: Birth of Mary (detail) , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , religious
Birth of St John the Baptist 1486-90 Fresco Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence Here a beautiful unknown woman from the donor's immediate circle is looking at us. She is holding a small cloth in her hands, which are elegantly clasped in front of her stomach, and dressed in a gentle pink, a hue picked up in her cheeks. Two women wearing white head-dresses accompany her; the elder is probably the donor's sister, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, who died before the picture was painted. She was the mother of Lorenzo il Magnifico and sister of Giovanni. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: Birth of St John the Baptist (detail) , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , religious Painting ID:: 63005
GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Birth of St John the Baptist 1486-90 Fresco Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Florence Here a beautiful unknown woman from the donor's immediate circle is looking at us. She is holding a small cloth in her hands, which are elegantly clasped in front of her stomach, and dressed in a gentle pink, a hue picked up in her cheeks. Two women wearing white head-dresses accompany her; the elder is probably the donor's sister, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, who died before the picture was painted. She was the mother of Lorenzo il Magnifico and sister of Giovanni. Artist: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico Painting Title: Birth of St John the Baptist (detail) , 1451-1500 Painting Style: Italian , , religious
Italian Early Renaissance Painter, 1449-1494
Florentine painter, whose family name was Bigordi. He may have studied painting and mosaics under Alesso Baldovinetti. Ghirlandaio was an excellent technician. Keenly observant of the contemporary scene, he depicted many prominent Florentine personalities within his religious narrative paintings. Among his earliest frescoes are the Madonna with the Vespucci Family and the Last Supper (Church of the Ognissanti, Florence). He painted scenes from the life of Santa Fina (collegiate church in San Gimigniano) and frescoes in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence. In 1481, Pope Sixtus IV called him to Rome, along with Botticelli, to decorate the Sistine Chapel. He painted the Calling of the First Apostles, a scene close in spirit to Masaccio. He returned to Florence to work on the frescoes in the Sassetti Chapel in Santa Trinita. He introduced Sassetti, Corsi, Poliziano, the Medici, and many other contemporaries as participants in the life of St. Francis. Ghirlandaio's most famous achievement is his fresco cycle of the life of Mary and St. John the Baptist for the choir of Santa Maria Novella. Michelangelo served an apprenticeship with him at this time and probably worked on these frescoes. Other examples of his art are the Adoration of the Magi (Uffizi); another Adoration (Hospital of the Innocents); a mosaic of the Annunciation for the Cathedral; a portrait of Francesco Sassetti and his son (Metropolitan Mus.);