- Year of birth: 1431
- Date of death: September 13, 1506
- Country: Italy
Biography:
Andrea Mantegna is one of the key Italian artists of the early Renaissance. This artist, considered by many art critics have linked their creativity Florentine (early) Renaissance and later Italian Renaissance.
Born Andrea Mantegna presumably in 1431 in Mantua (North Italy). Such date, scientists have calculated one of his paintings, written in 1448, in the caption to which Mantegna says that it is 17 years old. A large part of the artist’s life took place in Padua, a city which became the creative workshop of the artist. Even in the years when Mantegna lived and worked in Mantua, all of his paintings he signed as the work of a master paguanta, as this city the painter considered their homeland.
As evidenced by the documents found, at the age of ten, Andrea noticed a local artist and antiquary Francesco Squarcione. He took the young painter to his custody, and identified him in an art shop, where he developed the ability boy to painting.
In incomplete 17 years old, Mantegna was commissioned to paint the main altar in the Church of St. Sophia in Padua. If you look at these murals, it is safe to say that the painting is done by an experienced artist, not a novice painter. Next, Andrea Mantegna was commissioned to design the chapel of St. Christopher (Padua).
In 1454 Andrea married Nikoloz Bellini. Thus intermarry the two families of painters: father Nicolosi – Jacopo – was known in Venice as an artist and her two brothers, Giovanni and Gentile – glorified Italy in the 15th century as prominent painters.
Already having gained fame, in 1460, Mantegna moved to Mantua and settled at court the Marquis Gonzaga, becoming his court painter. In the next 8 years, the painter travels to Italy in 1488 in Rome gets an offer from the Pope innocent VIII on the painting of his chapel. The work was done for almost three years, after which Mantegna receives knightly orders and returned to the estate of Gonzaga, where he will remain until the end of his life. Mantegna died in 1506.
One of the most important works of Mantegna is considered the Sistine chapel of Ovetari in the Church of the Eremitani in Padua. Unfortunately, the Church was destroyed during the Second World war. However, there are still some sketches for the frescoes. The work was carried out for 6 years by several artists, but the style of Mantegna, according to many critics, was a leading.