Bernardino de 'Conti (di Conti or dei Conti) was an

Italian Renaissance painter Italian Renaissance painting is the painting of the period beginning in the late 13th century and flourishing from the early 15th to late 16th centuries, occurring in the Italian Peninsula, which was at that time divided into many political sta ...

, born in 1465 in Castelseprio and died around 1525. He is said to have been born as the son of "master Baldassarre", an obscure painter. Reported to have died in 1525, but the exact year is unknown since little is known about his life past 1522. A close apprentice to

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

, he is best known for his oil portraits and to a lesser extent, religious renditions such a
Madonna and Child

Bernard Berenson Bernard Berenson (June 26, 1865 – October 6, 1959) was an American art historian specializing in the Renaissance. His book ''The Drawings of the Florentine Painters'' was an international success. His wife Mary is thought to have had a large ...

argued that

La Belle Ferronnière () is a portrait painting of a lady, by Leonardo da Vinci, in the Louvre. It is also known as ''Portrait of an Unknown Woman.'' The painting's title, applied as early as the seventeenth century, identifying the sitter as the wife or daughter of ...

should be attributed to Bernardino de 'Conti, not Leonardo da Vinci.

Biography

Probably born in Castelseprio, in the province of Varese, he moved to Milan in 1494. His first commissions came at an early age with records showing payment for works ''Magister Bernardin de Comittibus de Castroseprio, filius magistri Baldessaris, port of Cumane, Parochie S. Protaxi intus, pintor mediolanensis'', and for an

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

representing the

Virgin and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

, intended for the Church of San Pietro in Gessate in Milan. It's assumed that Bernardino moved to France in his early 30's. Between 1508 and 1522 he painted a series of oil portraits; many of them are now considered masterpieces. Through his work it is assumed that he temporarily lived-in, or was a frequent guest at

Château d'Amboise The Château d'Amboise is a château in Amboise, located in the Indre-et-Loire ''Departments of France, département'' of the Loire Valley in France. Confiscated by the monarchy in the 15th century, it became a favoured royal residence and was ex ...

, the home of

(1516–1519). This is evidenced by the several portraits of Charles II d'Amboise, governor of Milan under Louis XII. Through this connection he was commissioned to paint multiple portraits for the Trivulzio family, ''

Francesco Sforza Francesco I Sforza (; 23 July 1401 – 8 March 1466) was an Italian condottiero who founded the Sforza dynasty in the duchy of Milan, ruling as its (fourth) duke from 1450 until his death. In the 1420s, he participated in the War of L'Aqui ...

'' (Vatican Pinacoteca), of ''Sisto della Rovere'' (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin), among others. In 1522, he completed a ''

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

'', exhibited for a long time in Potsdam, but destroyed in 1945. After this date, the documentation on Bernardino remains uncertain. Bernardino dei Conti 004

List of artwork

His works are most often paintings of devotion. He is also credited with the portrait of Charles II d'Amboise, lord of Chaumont, Meillant and Charenton – there is another version of it made by Andrea Solari, another apprentice of da Vinci.
Bernardo Di' Conti paintings
* Berlin. Gallery. Profile of a Prelate. 1499. *

Beatrice d'Este Beatrice d'Este (29 June 1475 – 3 January 1497) a noblewoman from Duchy of Ferrara, Ferrara, duchess of Bari and Milan by her marriage to Ludovico Sforza (known as "Ludovico il Moro"). She was known as a woman of culture, an important patron ...

, The Duchess of Milan (fragment), c. 1500 *

Charles II D'Amboise Charles II d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chaumont (1473 – 11 March 1511) was a French nobleman, who acted as French governor of Milan (1503–1511) during the reign of Louis XII and as a French commander during the War of the League of Cambrai. ...

Portrait, "The Earl of Douglas Surnamed Black" (multiple versions) **Charles II d'Amboise in Saint-Vic museum *Madonna and Child (auctioned by Sothebys in 2019) *Vierge à l'enfant sur fond de paysage *Ritratto Di Gentiluomo * Portrait of Catellano Trivulzio *Giovanni Ambrogio de Predis *Gentleman of the Trivulzio Family An original version of de' Conti's 'Earl of Douglas' was owned by

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

(Whitehall Palace no. 774) and was listed among his art inventory. It is currently part of the Royal Family's art collection. His work has been featured in museums which include th
New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art
(the MET), the British Museum, Harvard Museum, Seattle Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and several others.

Gallery

File:Bernardino dei Conti 003.JPG,

Beatrice D'Este Beatrice d'Este (29 June 1475 – 3 January 1497) a noblewoman from Duchy of Ferrara, Ferrara, duchess of Bari and Milan by her marriage to Ludovico Sforza (known as "Ludovico il Moro"). She was known as a woman of culture, an important patron ...

, The Duchess of Milan who inspired multiple

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

sonnets and play Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing. File:Charles II d' Amboise by Bernadino De Conti.jpg, Large oil portrait of

Charles II d'Amboise Charles II d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chaumont (1473 – 11 March 1511) was a French nobleman, who acted as French governor of Milan (1503–1511) during the reign of Louis XII and as a French commander during the War of the League of Cambrai. ...

(1473-1511) File:Francesco Sforza Portrait by Bernardino de Conti.jpg, (Francesco) Sforza family member portrait on wood panel (c. 1505) File:Madonna and Child, 15th Century Painting.jpg,

Madonna and Child In Christian art, a Madonna () is a religious depiction of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a singular form or sometimes accompanied by the Child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word ...

Renaissance Painting. Attributed to Bernardino de Conti, in manner of Leonardo da Vinci. File:Bernardino dei Conti 004.jpeg, Oil Painting in manner of Leonardo da Vinci File:Portrait of Isabella of Aragon, Duchess of Milan.jpg, Isabella of Aragon portrait on wood panel. File:Bernardino de Conti portrait of Charles d'Amboise.jpg, Oil Painting, attrib. Bernardino de' Conti from

Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...

, Italy. Sold at Sothebys Auction 2007 File:Portrait of a Gentleman, Philadelphia Museum.jpg, Renaissance portrait of an Italian gentleman (c. 1510). Displayed at the Philadelphia Museum. File:Portrait of Catellano Trivulzio, Brooklyn Museum.jpg, Renaissance portrait of an affluent gentlemen in

Milan, Italy Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

(c. 1505). Displayed at the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

. File:Bernardino di Conti Portrait Gentleman Trivulzio Family - 38.80 - Detroit Institute of Arts.jp
Gentleman of the Trivulzio Family
(c. 1450 - 1528) File:Bernardino dei Conti 003.jpg, Portrait of a 15th-century Cardinal holding instrument and note. File:Bernardino dei Conti - Bianca Maria Sforza (Louvre).jpg,

Bianca Maria Sforza Bianca Maria Sforza (5 April 1472 – 31 December 1510) was Queen of Germany and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire as the third spouse of Maximilian I. She was the eldest legitimate daughter of Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza of Milan by his secon ...

painting acquired by

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

in France (1914).

Death

The last documented artwork by Bernardino was "Virgin with the Child" in 1522. Historians have stated that he likely died in 1525.

References

Attribution: *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Conti, Bernardino de Year of birth unknown 1525 deaths 16th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Italian Renaissance painters Artists from Pavia Pupils and followers of Leonardo da Vinci