DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68073#0096
10
OLD WORLD MASTERS
chant of Florence, was born in that city in 1449. He began his life as
apprentice to a goldsmith—as so many superlative painters have done
■—and early showed talent for drawing and sketching. Before long he
left the goldsmith and entered the studio of Alesso Baldovinetti (see
page 48); and he undoubtedly owed much to this painter in his fond-
ness for decorative effects. Ghirlandaio was tremendously industrious
and always worked with the best artists of his time. At San Gimigniano
in 1475 he worked with Pier Francesco Fiorentino and he assisted
Botticelli in the Sistine Chapel in 1481. His own independent work was
stupendous. Ghirlandaio devoted himself almost exclusively to sacred
subjects and his frescoes are practically scenes of the Florentine world
he knew so well. Whether he painted scenes from the life of St. Francis,
or of the Virgin, or Herod, or St. Zenobius, the characters represented
are members of the Medici, the Tornabuoni, the Sassetti, the Albizzi,
and other important Florentine families. In fact, his attention to
details and the careful way he rendered them, show that he had some
knowledge of contemporary Flemish paintings; and consequently
Ghirlandaio is regarded as chief of the Florentine realists. However,
Ghirlandaio ranked in his day with Botticelli and Filippino Lippi, and
he enjoyed the patronage and friendship of the Medici. Ghirlandaio’s -
most important frescoes are those in Sta. Maria Novella representing
Lives of the Virgin and John the Baptist, commissioned by Giovanni
Tornabuoni, described above, and those in Santa Trinita depicting the
Life of St. Francis, ordered by Francesco Sassetti described on page 72.
Ghirlandaio died in 1494 of the Plague, comparatively young, but
having accomplished a vast amount of work and having trained a
number of painters, the most important of whom was Michelangelo.
Ghirlandaio’s son, Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (1483-1561), became a painter
and was an intimate friend of Raphael.
OLD WORLD MASTERS
chant of Florence, was born in that city in 1449. He began his life as
apprentice to a goldsmith—as so many superlative painters have done
■—and early showed talent for drawing and sketching. Before long he
left the goldsmith and entered the studio of Alesso Baldovinetti (see
page 48); and he undoubtedly owed much to this painter in his fond-
ness for decorative effects. Ghirlandaio was tremendously industrious
and always worked with the best artists of his time. At San Gimigniano
in 1475 he worked with Pier Francesco Fiorentino and he assisted
Botticelli in the Sistine Chapel in 1481. His own independent work was
stupendous. Ghirlandaio devoted himself almost exclusively to sacred
subjects and his frescoes are practically scenes of the Florentine world
he knew so well. Whether he painted scenes from the life of St. Francis,
or of the Virgin, or Herod, or St. Zenobius, the characters represented
are members of the Medici, the Tornabuoni, the Sassetti, the Albizzi,
and other important Florentine families. In fact, his attention to
details and the careful way he rendered them, show that he had some
knowledge of contemporary Flemish paintings; and consequently
Ghirlandaio is regarded as chief of the Florentine realists. However,
Ghirlandaio ranked in his day with Botticelli and Filippino Lippi, and
he enjoyed the patronage and friendship of the Medici. Ghirlandaio’s -
most important frescoes are those in Sta. Maria Novella representing
Lives of the Virgin and John the Baptist, commissioned by Giovanni
Tornabuoni, described above, and those in Santa Trinita depicting the
Life of St. Francis, ordered by Francesco Sassetti described on page 72.
Ghirlandaio died in 1494 of the Plague, comparatively young, but
having accomplished a vast amount of work and having trained a
number of painters, the most important of whom was Michelangelo.
Ghirlandaio’s son, Ridolfo Ghirlandaio (1483-1561), became a painter
and was an intimate friend of Raphael.