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

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

painter, 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 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

, 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 ''La Belle Ferronnière'' () is a portrait of a lady, usually attributed to 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 t ...

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 representing the

Virgin and Child In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent ...

, 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 ''département'' of the Loire Valley in France. Confiscated by the monarchy in the 15th century, it became a favoured royal residence and was extensively rebuilt. K ...

, 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'A ...

'' (Vatican Pinacoteca), of ''Sisto della Rovere'' (Gemäldegalerie, Berlin), among others. In 1522, he completed a '' Madonna'', 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), was Duchess of Bari and Milan by marriage to Ludovico Sforza (known as "il Moro"). She was one of the most important personalities of the time and, despite her short life, she was a major play ...

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

Charles II D'Amboise Charles d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chaumont (1473 – 11 February 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. Bio ...

Portrait, "The Earl of Douglas Surnamed Black" (multiple versions) **Charles II d'Amboise in Saint-Vic museum *Madonna and Child (auctioned by

Sothebys Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, and ...

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 (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), was Duchess of Bari and Milan by marriage to Ludovico Sforza (known as "il Moro"). She was one of the most important personalities of the time and, despite her short life, she was a major play ...

, The Duchess of Milan who inspired multiple

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 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 d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chaumont (1473 – 11 February 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. Bio ...

(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 art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in ...

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 (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...

, 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 ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

(c. 1505). Displayed at the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...

. 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 Italy, 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 ...

painting acquired by

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

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