Bernardino (or Belardino) Mezzastris (or Mezastris) (ca. before 1539) was an Italian

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

of the Umbrian School, from

Foligno Foligno (; Southern Umbrian: ''Fuligno'') is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is located so ...

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

, Italy. He was a minor artist: some of his frescoes on religious subjects survive, but garnered little critical acclaim. He should not be confused with the much more important Pier Antonio Mezzastris, another fresco artist at the time and possible relative.

Relatives

Bernardino Mezzastris is thought to be the son of Pier Antonio Mezzastris (ca. 1430-1506) who was an influential painter. Furthermore, likely relatives include Onofria Mezzastris, his aunt,

Bartolomeo di Tommaso Bartolomeo di Tommaso, also known as Bartolomeo da Foligno (born in Foligno, c. 1400, active by 1425, died 1453–54) was an Italian painter of the Umbro- Sienese school. Life and career He was in Ancona from 1425 to 1442, when he returned to Fo ...

, his presumed uncle-in-law, and Paolo Nocchi, his possible great-uncle.

Works

Like the works of his presumed father, Pier Antonio Mezzastris, most of Bernardino’s fresco paintings involved various Christian figures and saints. Many of Bernardino's frescoes and paintings are damaged, and only two are known to be signed by him. Detached frescoes are now located in the Pinacoteca Civica museum of

Signed Works

*''Madonna and Child with angels in a rose garden, in the church of S. Illuminata of Montefalco'', signed and dated 1507 *''Fresco in the Chiesa Tonda of

Spello Spello (in Antiquity: Hispellum) is an ancient town and ''comune'' (township) of Italy, in the province of Perugia in eastern-central Umbria, on the lower southern flank of Mt. Subasio. It is 6 km (4 mi) NNW of Foligno and 10 km (6 ...

'', signed and dated 1533 *Painted niche in S. Illuminata, signed and dated 1529. ''This painted niche was commissioned by The Commune, after the cessation of a disease outbreak. This fresco depicts God above two angels, lifting a cloth of honour. Inside of the niche, there was intended to be a statue of the archangel Raphael; it currently houses a 15th-century wooden statue of St Nicolas of Tolentino.''

Attributed Works

* ''St Amicus'', dated 1508 * ''Crucifixion'', dated 1525. ''This fresco depicts the crucifixion of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

accompanied by the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

and St John the Baptist.'' * ''St Roch'', estimated 16th century

References

*Raimond van Marle
''The development of the Italian schools of painting''
Volume 14, Hacker Art Books, 1970, p. 86. *''Key to Umbria''

*''Key to Umbria,'

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mezzastris, Bernardino 16th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Umbrian painters Italian Renaissance painters People from Foligno