Antonio del Massaro da Viterbo, or ''Antonio da Viterbo'', nicknamed il Pastura (c. 1450–1516) was an Italian painter.

Life and career

The earliest mention of Il Pastura occurs in December 1478, when the artist participated in the establishment of Foundation of Art and University of San Luca dei Pittori, in Rome. Il Pastura may have lived in Rome for some time before this event, although the details of his career in Rome are uncertain. However, Il Pastura certainly participated in decorating some work by

Pinturicchio Pinturicchio, or Pintoricchio (, ; born Bernardino di Betto; 1454–1513), also known as Benetto di Biagio or Sordicchio, was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. He acquired his nickname (meaning "little painter") because of his smal ...

in the rooms of the

Borgia Apartment The Borgia Apartments are a suite of rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI (Rodrígo de Borgia). In the late 15th century, he commissioned the Italian painter Bernardino di Betto (Pinturicchio ...

in the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

. In

Viterbo Viterbo (; Viterbese: ; lat-med, Viterbium) is a city and ''comune'' in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It conquered and absorbed the neighboring town of Ferento (see Ferentium) in its early history. ...

, Il Pastura painted the ''Presepio con i Santi Giovanni Battista e Bartolomeo'' (''

Nativity Scene In the Christianity, Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian language, Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christ ...

with Saints

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

and

Bartholomew Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو� ...

'') (Museo Civico, Viterbo). After that, he traveled to

Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...

, where it is documented that between 1497 and 1499 he completed the restoration of

frescoes Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...

originally painted by

Ugolino di Prete Ilario Ugolino di Prete Ilario was an Italian painter. He was born in Siena, and executed frescoes (1364) in the chapel of San Corporale in the Orvieto Cathedral Orvieto Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Orvieto; Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) is a larg ...

for the cathedral, work which had been started by Pinturicchio. In

Orvieto Cathedral Orvieto Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Orvieto; Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta) is a large 14th-century Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and situated in the town of Orvieto in Umbria, central Italy. Since 1986 ...

he worked on pieces that featured

Biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

scenes such as the ''

Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...

'', '' Visitation'', '' Presentation to the Temple'', and ''

Flight into Egypt The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew ( Matthew 2:13– 23) and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and the i ...

''. He returned to Viterbo in 1504, and painted a piece called ''San Terenziano, San Rocco e San Sebastiano'' (''

Saint Terence Saint Terence (''Terentius, Terentianus'') is any of several Christian figures: *Terence (Terentianus) was, according to his legend, an officer in the Roman Army during the 1st century. He witnessed the death sentencing of Saints Peter and Paul. ...

Saint Roch Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...

, and

Saint Sebastian Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Dioclet ...

''), which was probably influenced by the work of

Luca Signorelli Luca Signorelli ( – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos of the ''Last Judgment'' (1499–15 ...

. It is conserved in the church of

Santa Maria a Capranica Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

. After the death of

Lorenzo da Viterbo Lorenzo da Viterbo was, together with Antoniazzo Romano, the greatest native painter of the early Renaissance (second half of the fifteenth century) in the region of Rome. He was probably educated in Rome under Piero della Francesca (frescoes ...

, Il Pastura became the most important Viterbese painter of the time. He created frescoes in Viterbo such as ''Santi Giovanni Battista, Girolamo e Lorenzo'' (''Saints

James James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, and

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

'') for the

baptistery In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal ...

Santa Maria Nuova Santa Maria Nuova is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ancona in the Italian region Marche, located about southwest of Ancona. Santa Maria Nuova borders the following municipalities: Filottrano, Jesi, Osimo, Polverigi Polverigi is ...

, which was possibly influenced by the work of

Antoniazzo Romano Antoniazzo Romano, born Antonio di Benedetto Aquilo degli Aquili (c. 1430 – c. 1510) was an Italian Early Renaissance painter, the leading figure of the Roman school during the latter part of the 15th century. He "made a speciality of rep ...

and

Perugino Pietro Perugino (, ; – 1523), born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael was his most famous pupil. Ear ...

. He also decorated the

aedicule In ancient Roman religion, an ''aedicula'' (plural ''aediculae'') is a small shrine, and in classical architecture refers to a niche covered by a pediment or entablature supported by a pair of columns and typically framing a statue,"aedicula, n." ...

for the courtyard of the

Chigi Palace The Chigi Palace ( it, Palazzo Chigi ) is a palace and former noble residence in Rome which is the seat of the Council of Ministers and the official residence of the Prime Minister of Italy. Since 22 October 2022, the tenant of the Chigi Palace h ...

with a ''Madonna and Child''. Other important works, executed between 1508 and 1509, include the decoration of the chancel of the cathedral of Tarquinia, which was commissioned by the Vitelleschi family.

Critical reception

The Italian scholar Italo Faldi has observed the success with critics that Il Pastura's work has enjoyed. Even though

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculpt ...

did not include Il Pastura's name in his ''

Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' ( it, Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori), often simply known as ''The Lives'' ( it, Le Vite), is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-ce ...

'', Il Pastura's reputation benefited from a resurgence of interest in his work in the 19th century. One of the first

monograph A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject. In library cataloging, ''monograph ...

s on an Italian painter was one written on Il Pastura, in 1901, by E. Steinmann.''Antonio da Viterbo'',

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

, 1901).

Works

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

**''Madonna in trono con Bambino benedicente tra santi'',

Amelia, Italy Amelia is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Terni, in the Umbria region of central Italy. It grew up around an ancient hill fort, known to the Romans as Ameria. Geography The town lies in the south of Umbria, on a hill overlooking the Tiber ...

**''Deposizione'', ''Cristo in pietà con gli strumenti della passione'',

Canino Canino is a town and ''comune'' of Italy, in the province of Viterbo (northern Lazio) in the internal part of Maremma Laziale. It is west of Valentano and northwest of Viterbo. It is also near the ancient Etruscan town of Vulci, and the des ...

, church of San Francesc

**''San Rocco, San Terenziano e San Sebastiano'', Capranica Prenestina, Capranica, church of Santa Maria **''Madonna con Bambino in un paesaggio'',

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, private collection (1926) **''Coppie di angeli reggenti lo stemma del Duomo'',

, Cathedral of Orviet

**''Presentazione al Tempio, Annunciazione, Visitazione'', Orvieto, Cathedral of Orvieto (chancel

**''Madonna con Bambino in trono'', Orvieto, Museo dell'Opera del Duom

**''San Sebastiano e donatore'', Orvieto, Museo dell'Opera del Duom

**''Affresco con Santi'', Orvieto, church of Santissima Trinità **''Madonna con Bambino in trono tra Santi'', Rome,

San Cosimato The church of San Cosimato is a church located in the city of Rome, Italy. It was originally built in the 10th century in the Trastevere rione and now includes the hospital known as "Nuovo Regina Margherita." Originally, it was built as a Benedi ...

**''Madonna col Bambino'', Rome,

Pinacoteca Capitolina The Capitoline Museums (Italian: ''Musei Capitolini'') are a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Pala ...

br>
**''Sacra Famiglia con San Giovannino in adorazione del Bambino'', Rome, collezione Rospigliosi **''Madonna con Bambino tra Santi'', Rome, private collection of Principe Massimo **''Madonna con Bambino benedicente'', Rome, private collection **''Madonna del Latte in trono'',

Tarquinia Tarquinia (), formerly Corneto, is an old city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Central Italy, known chiefly for its ancient Etruscan tombs in the widespread necropoleis, or cemeteries, for which it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. ...

, Museo Nazionale **''Affreschi'', Tarquinia, cathedral **''Madonna con Bambino benedicente tra Santi'',

Terni Terni ( , ; lat, Interamna (Nahars)) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria in central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera river. It is ...

, Pinacoteca comunale **''Madonna con Bambino incoronata da angeli in una mandorla di cherubini'',

Tuscania Tuscania is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Viterbo, Lazio Region, Italy. Until the late 19th century the town was known as Toscanella. History Antiquity According to the legend, Tuscania was founded by Aeneas' son, Ascanius, wher ...

(VT), chiesa di Santa Maria del Riposo **''Madonna con Bambino benedicente in una mandorla di cherubini'',

Vercelli Vercelli (; pms, Vërsèj ), is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, ...

, Museo Borgogna (già Roma, collezione principe Orsini

**''Affreschi'',

, Museo civico (dalla chiesa di San Domenico) **''Natività, adorazione dei pastori con Santi'', Viterbo, Museo civico **''Stendardo processionale'', Viterbo, Museo civico (associated with church of San Clemente) **''Madonna con Bambino in trono e angeli tra Santi'', Viterbo, Museo civico (associated with church of Santa Maria del Paradiso) **''Orazione nell'orto'', Viterbo, Museo civico **''Edicola affrescata'', Viterbo, Palazzo Chigi (Cortile) **''San Rocco e donatore'', Viterbo, church of Sant'Angelo in Spatha **''Affresco'', Viterbo, church of Santa Maria Nuova **''Affreschi votivi'', Viterbo, church of Santa Maria della Peste *France **''Madonna del Latte tra Santi'',

Grenoble lat, Gratianopolis , commune status = Prefecture and commune , image = Panorama grenoble.png , image size = , caption = From upper left: Panorama of the city, Grenoble’s cable cars, place Saint- ...

, Musée des beaux-art

**''Madonna con Bambino benedicente in un paesaggio'', Paris, Collection of Comte D'Hautpoul *

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...

**''Madonna con Bambino, due angeli e San Giovannino'',

Vaduz Vaduz ( or , High Alemannic pronunciation: [])Hans Stricker, Toni Banzer, Herbert Hilbe: ''Liechtensteiner Namenbuch. Die Orts- und Flurnamen des Fürstentums Liechtenstein.'' Band 2: ''Die Namen der Gemeinden Triesenberg, Vaduz, Schaan.'' Hrsg. ...

, Galleria Liechtenstein *

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

**''Madonna con Bambino'',

Lugano Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...

, Bruno Scardeoni Collection (1975) *United States **''Morte di Cristo con Maria e San Giovanni'',

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia, High Museum of Ar

**''Annunciazione'', Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Fine Artsbr>
**''Madonna in trono con Bambino benedicente in un paesaggio'', Cambridge (Massachusetts), Cambridge (Massachusetts),

Fogg Art Museum The Harvard Art Museums are part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum (established in 1895), the Busch-Reisinger Museum (established in 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established in 1985), and four research ...

of Harvard Universit

**''Madonna con Bambino in trono tra Santi'',

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

(Pennsylvania), Museum of Art, John G. Johnson Collectio

**''Madonna con Bambino e due angeli'', New York, Finch College **''Madonna con Bambino ed i Santi Girolamo e Francesco'', New York,

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

br>
**''Madonna con Bambino in un paesaggio'',

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

, Ringling Museum of Ar

**''Madonna e due angeli in adorazione del Bambino'', Worcester (Massachusetts), Worcester (Massachusetts), Art Museu

*

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

**''Allegoria della Retorica, della Musica e della Astrologia'', Appartamento Borgia (The Room of the Liberal Arts

**''Resurrezione, Pentecoste, Assunzione della Vergine, Angeli reggenti lo stemma di Papa Alessandro VI'', Appartamento Borgia (sala dei Misteri), as a collaborator with

br>

References

Sources

*T. Verdon (editor), ''Gesù. Il corpo, il volto nell’arte'', Cinisello Balsamo, 2010, p. 200 *A. M. Ghisalberti, ''Dizionario Bibliografico degli Italiani'', Rome 2004, p. 583 *K. J. P. Lowe, ''Nuns' Chronicles and Convent Culture in Renaissance and Counter-Reformation Italy'', Cambridge 2003, pp. 334–337 *A. Schivi, ''Le Collezioni del museo'', in C. Lacchia and A. Schiavi (editors), ''Museo Borgogna. Storia e Collezioni'', Cologno Monzese 2001, p. 32 *K. Lagemann, ''Spätgotische Malerei in Latium: Stilkritische Analyse und Katalog'', Munster-Hamburg-London 2000, pp. 20–24 *M. Clayton, ''Raphael and His Circle: Drawings from Windsor Castle'', London 1999, p. 40 *L. M. Galli Michero, ''Il Museo Borgogna a Vercelli. Guida alle Collezioni'', Turin 1999, p. s.n. *J. Turner, ''Dictionary of Art'', New York 1996, p. 817 *F. Todini, ''La Pittura Umbra. Dal Duecento al primo Cinquecento'', Milan 1989, vol. I, pp. 258–260, vol. II, pp. 537–541 *F. Zeri, editor, ''La Pittura in Italia. Il Quattrocento'', Milan 1987, tomo II, pp. 728–729 *A. Zuccari, ''L'attività viterbese di Antonio del Massaro detto il Pastura'', in ''Il Quattrocento a Viterbo'', Viterbo, Museo Civico, catalogue of exhibition, Rome 1983, pp. 222–239 *L. Berandi, ''Il Civico Museo Borgogna Vercelli'', Vercelli 1982, p. 102 *P. Mattiangeli, ''Annio da Viterbo, ispiratore dei cicli pittorici. Documenti e ricerche'', Rome 1981 *A. Venturi, ''Storia dell'Arte Italiana'', Milan 1975, p. 582 *I. Faldi, ''Pittori Viterbesi di cinque secoli'', Rome 1970, pp. 38–45 *V. Viale, ''Civico Museo Francesco Borgogna Vercelli. I dipinti'', Vercelli 1969, p. 67, n. 96 *V. Golzio, G. Zander, ''L'arte in Roma nel XV secolo'', Bologna 1968, pp. 252, 265–266, 290, 303 *L. Mortari, ''Il Museo Diocesano di Orte'', Viterbo 1967, pp. 21–23 *M. Pepe, "L'attività romana di Antonio da Viterbo", in ''Capitolium'', November 1964, pp. 558–562 *I. Faldi, ''Museo Civico di Viterbo. Dipinti e sculture dal Medioevo al XVIII secolo'', Viterbo 1955, pp- 15, 19–21 *I. Faldi, L. Mortari, ''La pittura viterbese dal XIV al XVI secolo'', catalogue of exhibition, Viterbo 1954 *B. Berenson, ''Italian Pictures of the Renaissance'', Oxford 1953, pp. 321–332 *L. Bohling, ''Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte'', in ''Prinzipielles zum deutschen Parallelfaltenstil'', VII, 1938, pp. 20–40 *M. Gabbrielli, ''Il Museo Civico di Viterbo'', in ''Ministero della educazione nazionale. Direzione generale delle antichità e belle arti'', Roma 1932, pp. 16–17,33 *V. Viale, ''Guida alle raccolte dei musei Leone e Borgogna di Vercelli'', Vercelli 1934, p. 82 *U. Gnoli, ''Pittori e miniatori dell'Umbria'', Spoleto 1923 (rist. an. 1980), pp. 35–36 *U. Gnoli, in ''Art in America'', IX, 1920, p. 24 *C. Ricci, ''Antonio da Viterbo detto il Pastura e l'Appartamento Borgia'', in ''Per l'inaugurazione del Museo Civico di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1912, pp. 23–27 *C. Pinzi, ''Memorie sulla chiesa di Santa Maria della Verità'', in ''Per l'inaugurazione del Museo Civico di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1912, pp. 10–12 *C. Pinzi, ''I principali monumenti di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1911, pp. 183–192 *E. Steinmann, ''Antonio da Viterbo'', Munich 1901 *''Catalogue des Objets d'Art et d'Ameublement garnissant le grand appartement au premier étage du Palais du prince Orsini'' Roma, catalogo d'asta (Roma, 12 – 23 marzo 1896), Rome 1896, p. 58, n. 421 *E. Muntz, ''Lea arts à la cour des papes'', Paris 1889, p. 99, p. 190 nota *E. Muntz, ''Lea arts à la cour des papes'', Paris 1882, p. 99 *C. Pinzi, ''Gli ospizi medievali e l'ospedale grande di Viterbo'', Viterbo 1893, pp. 129–130 *L. Fiumi, ''Il duomo di Orvieto'', Rome 1866, pp. 299–305 {{DEFAULTSORT:Massaro, Antonio Del 15th-century Italian painters 16th-century Italian painters Italian Renaissance painters Quattrocento painters Italian male painters People from Viterbo 1450 births 1516 deaths