Bartolommeo Penni was a Florentine High Renaissance painter active in the 16th century, the brother of the painters

Luca Penni Luca Penni (c.1500/1504–1556) was an Italian painter of the 16th century best known for his work in France as part of the First School of Fontainebleau. He was nicknamed ''Le Romain'' (the Roman). Life Penni was born in Florence. He and his ...

and

Gianfrancesco Penni Gianfrancesco Penni (1488/1496–1528), also known as Giovan Francesco, was an Italian painter. His brother Bartolommeo was an artist of the Tudor court of Henry VIII, and another brother, Luca, ended up as one of the Italian artists of the Sch ...

- the three brothers originally came from a family of weavers. Bartolommeo moved to England with "

Antony Toto Anthony Toto or "Antony", real name Antonio di Nunziato d'Antonio (1498–1554), was an Italian painter and architect at the English court. He was a Florentine, and a pupil of Ridolfo Ghirlandajo. He came to England about 1519, and was naturaliz ...

" (Antonio di Nunziato d'Antonio) and served as a court artist to

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

between 1531 and 1533. He probably came to Henry from

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic bishop. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling figur ...

, as he and Toto first appear in the accounts just after Wolsey's fall in October 1529. "Toto" had been signed on in Florence in 1519 as an assistant to

Pietro Torrigiano Pietro Torrigiano (24 November 1472 – July/August 1528) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, who had to flee the city after breaking Michelangelo's nose. He then worked abroad, and died in prison in Spain. He was important in ...

, who in fact left England for good later that year. Toto and Penni spent most of their time after 1538 working on

Nonsuch Palace Nonsuch Palace was a Tudor royal palace, built by Henry VIII in Surrey, England; it stood from 1538 to 1682–83. Its site lies in what is now Nonsuch Park on the boundaries of the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey and the London Borough ...

, including elaborate stucco work for Henry's most advanced building, now vanished. Penni is recorded as still in England in 1538 and also worked as painter-decorator to Henry's son and successor

Edward VI of England Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first En ...

.Tudor Costume and Fashion - Page 388
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References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20121122142031/http://www.somegreymatter.com/somerley.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Penni, Bartolomeo 16th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Italian Mannerist painters Painters from Florence English Mannerist painters