Giorgio da Sebenico () or Giorgio Orsini or Juraj Dalmatinac (; c. 1410 – 10 October 1473) was a
Venetian sculptor and architect from
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
, who worked mainly in Sebenico (now
Šibenik
Šibenik () is a historic city in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
), and in the city of
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...
, then a
maritime republic
The maritime republics ( it, repubbliche marinare), also called merchant republics ( it, repubbliche mercantili), were thalassocratic city-states of the Mediterranean Basin during the Middle Ages. Being a significant presence in Italy in the Mi ...
.
Life
Giorgio da Sebenico was born from the Roman noble
Orsini family
The House of Orsini is an Italian noble family that was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and Renaissance Rome. Members of the Orsini family include five popes: Stephen II (752-757), Paul I (757-767), Celestine II ...
in the Dalmatian city of Zara (now
Zadar
Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serv ...
, Croatia), which was part of the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
(see
Venetian Dalmatia
Venetian Dalmatia ( la, Dalmatia Veneta) refers to parts of Dalmatia under the rule of the Republic of Venice, mainly from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Dalmatia was first sold to Venice in 1409 but Venetian Dalmatia was not fully consolidated f ...
).
[Kokole]
He emigrated to
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
during his youth, where he was probably trained as a
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
in the workshop of Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon,
or at least worked with them as an independent associate.
[Schultz, 83] He would not have been awarded the great responsibility of the 1441 Šibenik contract without having experience of major works, and various attributions of surviving sculptures in Venice to him, as part of the Bon workshop, have been made, including the decorations on the Porta della Carta of the
Doge's Palace
The Doge's Palace ( it, Palazzo Ducale; vec, Pałaso Dogal) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme auth ...
.
Anne Markham Schultz dismisses all previous suggestions as stylistically incompatible, but instead proposes the
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
of ''Saint Mark enthroned among members of the Confraternity of Saint Mark'' in the lunette above the main entrance to the
Scuola di San Marco, which she dates to 1437-1438 and finds close in style to Giorgio's later works at Šibenik and elsewhere. As his style here has few similarities to other works by the Bons, she considers it most likely that he worked with them when already a master, who had trained elsewhere. She believes his personal style offers few clues as to where this might have been.
In 1441, when still resident in Venice, Giorgio was summoned to Šibenik in order to take charge of the construction of the
Šibenik Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. James ( hr, Katedrala sv. Jakova) in Šibenik, Croatia is a triple-nave Catholic basilica with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside). It is the episcopal seat of the Šibenik diocese. It is also the most important architect ...
of St James. He moved by the end of August, and in 1443 was awarded the title of master under the condition set in the contract with the procurators of the Cathedral to take up residence there for at least six years. On 1 September 1446 he agreed to extend his contract as chief architect for another ten years. Giorgio was granted permission to remain in Venice for two months every two years on condition that he did no work there except on his own house. He will work on the Cathedral from 1441 till 1473, although discontinuously because the work were interrupted several times for lack of funds and probably for a fire.
In Venice he married Elisabetta Da Monte (daughter of Gregorio da Monte, a Venetian carpenter), who brought him as her dowry some houses in Venice. After 1450 he worked in both
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...
and Sebenico, with a period in
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
between June 1464 and November 1465, mostly working on the fortifications. He travelled to Rome in 1470–71.
He is believed to have died in Sebenico on 10 October 1473.
It is believed that his descendants inhabited Sebenico until the end of the 17th century.
Work
![Sibenik Cathedral of St James details](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Sibenik_Cathedral_of_St_James_details.jpg)
His work represents the golden age of Dalmatian medieval art. He was one of main artists of the Adriatic Renaissance, a tendency widespread during the late 15th century in Venice, Dalmatia and in some locations of the Italian Adriatic Coast, such as
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...
.
According to Stanko Kokole, "Although his style was firmly based on the Venetian Late Gothic tradition, Giorgio was fascinated by the Florentine Renaissance, the influence of which is apparent in his figure sculptures." Influences and borrowings from many Florentine sculptors including
Donatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Republic of Florence, Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sculpture and use ...
,
Ghiberti
Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptistery ...
,
Luca della Robbia
Luca della Robbia (, also , ; 1399/1400–1482) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence. Della Robbia is noted for his colorful, Tin-glazed pottery, tin-glazed terracotta statuary, a technique which he invented and passed on to his ne ...
,
Niccolò Pizzolo Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion".
There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The fe ...
,
Antonio del Pollaiuolo
Antonio del Pollaiuolo ( , , ; 17 January 1429/14334 February 1498), also known as Antonio di Jacopo Pollaiuolo or Antonio Pollaiuolo (also spelled Pollaiolo), was an Italian painter, sculptor, engraver, and goldsmith during the Italian Rena ...
, and
Jacopo della Quercia
Jacopo della Quercia (, ; 20 October 1438), also known as Jacopo di Pietro d'Agnolo di Guarnieri, was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance, a contemporary of Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and Donatello. He is considered a precursor of Michelangelo.
...
can be detected in various works.
His most beautiful achievement remains the
Šibenik Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. James ( hr, Katedrala sv. Jakova) in Šibenik, Croatia is a triple-nave Catholic basilica with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside). It is the episcopal seat of the Šibenik diocese. It is also the most important architect ...
of St James, for which he was a chief architect from 1441 till 1473.
The entire building was built solely of limestone from
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
, with no wood or bricks used in the structure. The building presents all along the perimeter a hedge composed of 72 stone-carved heads. On top of this hedge, and precisely on the North side, Giorgio added two angels; at the base of this work the artist engraved his signature. The task before him was to build the choir, of which foundations had not been laid, to raise and roof the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
which was only completed to the top of the aisle vaults, and to covering the crossing by a lantern or cupola.
Unfortuately lack of funding and a fire delayed the achievement of the construction.
From 1 July 1477 the work on the Šibenik Cathedral of St James was continued by an architect from Tuscany,
Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino
Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino (Croatian: ''Nikola Firentinac'') called Nicolas of Florence (1418 in Bagno a Ripoli – 1506 in Šibenik), was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, active in Venice and Dalmatia.
He is best known by hi ...
.
In
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
he built several palaces. In 1448 he carved a stone
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
in the
Cathedral of Saint Domnius
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius ( hr, Katedrala Svetog Duje), known locally as the ''Sveti Dujam'' or colloquially ''Sveti Duje'', is the Catholic cathedral in Split, Croatia. The cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Split-Makarska, headed ...
, with a remarkable representation of the flagellation of Christ. In
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
he helped repairing the
Duke's Palace and helped building the Minčeta fortress in 1464 and 1465. He also distincted himself as urbanist. Around 1450 he made an urban plan for
Pag and contributed to the project and construction of
Pelješac
Pelješac (; Chakavian: ; it, Sabbioncello) is a peninsula in southern Dalmatia in Croatia. The peninsula is part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and is the second largest peninsula in Croatia. From the isthmus that begins at Ston, to the top o ...
walls. He was at the same time sculptor, architect and urban planner, showing in this his belonging to the cultural climate and orientation of Renaissance.
In Italy, he worked in
Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...
where he built the
Loggia dei Mercanti, the portal of
San Francesco alle Scale
San Francesco alle Scale is a church in Ancona, central Italy.
History
Sited at the top of a staircase leading to the eponymous square, the church was founded in 1323 by the Franciscans, and was originally dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore. It ...
and the portal of Sant'Agostino.
During his career Renaissance style gradually replaced the Gothic, in line with the European tendency during the 15th century for Gothic to become more elaborate sophisticated, giving birth to the late
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
style known in Venice as ''Gotico Fiorito'' and
Flamboyant
Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...
in France.
Among his disciples, the most known are
Andrea Alessi
Andrea Alessi ( sq, Andrea Nikollë Aleksi, hr, Andrija Aleši, 1425–1505) was an Albanian architect and sculptor born in Durazzo (Albania Veneta), considered one of the most distinguished artists of Dalmatia.
Alessi was born in Durazzo (mod ...
and
Radmillo Allegretti, whose works are in
Cattaro
Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative ...
and
Zara.
File:Split - Interior of the cathedral (10).JPG, Altar detail in the Cathedral of Saint Domnius
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius ( hr, Katedrala Svetog Duje), known locally as the ''Sveti Dujam'' or colloquially ''Sveti Duje'', is the Catholic cathedral in Split, Croatia. The cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Split-Makarska, headed ...
, Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
File:Šibenik, Katedrala sv. Jakova - sjeveroistok.jpg, Šibenik Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. James ( hr, Katedrala sv. Jakova) in Šibenik, Croatia is a triple-nave Catholic basilica with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside). It is the episcopal seat of the Šibenik diocese. It is also the most important architect ...
of St James
File:Cathedral of St. James, Sibenik1 (js).jpg, Šibenik Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. James ( hr, Katedrala sv. Jakova) in Šibenik, Croatia is a triple-nave Catholic basilica with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside). It is the episcopal seat of the Šibenik diocese. It is also the most important architect ...
of St James
File:St_James_cathedral_main_portal.jpg, Šibenik Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. James ( hr, Katedrala sv. Jakova) in Šibenik, Croatia is a triple-nave Catholic basilica with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside). It is the episcopal seat of the Šibenik diocese. It is also the most important architect ...
of St James
File:St Jacobs Cathedral inside.JPG, Cathedral of Šibenik (interior)
File:Ancona, Loggia dei Mercanti.JPG, Loggia dei Mercanti, Ancona
Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...
File:Giorgio Da Sebenico - stemma civico - Loggia dei Mercanti - Ancona.JPG, Coat of arms of Ancona, Loggia dei Mercanti, Ancona
File:Giorgio Da Sebenico - Fortezza - Loggia dei Mercanti - Ancona.JPG, Loggia dei Mercanti, Ancona
File:San Francesco alle Scale Ancona 5.jpg, Church of San Francesco alle Scale
San Francesco alle Scale is a church in Ancona, central Italy.
History
Sited at the top of a staircase leading to the eponymous square, the church was founded in 1323 by the Franciscans, and was originally dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore. It ...
, Ancona
File:San Francesco alle Scale Ancona 19.jpg, Church of San Francesco alle Scale
San Francesco alle Scale is a church in Ancona, central Italy.
History
Sited at the top of a staircase leading to the eponymous square, the church was founded in 1323 by the Franciscans, and was originally dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore. It ...
, Ancona
File:Płaskorzeźba nad portalem.JPG, Church of San Francesco alle Scale, Ancona
File:Ancona - Giorgio da Sebenico - San Francesco alle Scale - 2.JPG, Church of San Francesco alle Scale, Ancona
File:Ancona, Sa.jpg, Church of Sant'Agostino, Ancona
File:Dubrovnik IMG 9708.JPG, Minčeta Tower, Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
File:Dubrovnik-Rector's Palace.JPG, Rector's Palace, Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
File:Dubrovnik, palazzo del rettore, portico, capitelli di giorgio orsini 02.JPG, Rector's Palace, Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterran ...
Name
![Cathedral of St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Cathedral_of_St._Jacob_in_%C5%A0ibenik_%289%29.JPG)
At the feet of the two Renaissance putti by the north
apse
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
of
Šibenik Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. James ( hr, Katedrala sv. Jakova) in Šibenik, Croatia is a triple-nave Catholic basilica with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside). It is the episcopal seat of the Šibenik diocese. It is also the most important architect ...
of St James, the artist signed in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: "hoc opus cuvarum fecit magister Georgius Mathaei Dalmaticus",
and on a contract from 1441 he signed: "Georgius lapicida quondam Mathei de Jadra Civis Sibenicenis" (''trans.'' "Georgius sculptor son of Matheus from Zadar citizen of Šibenik").
Those are only known signatures of the artist.
References to the artist are most common under the name Giorgio da Sebenico,
[
''Architecture in Italy, 1400-1500'' by ]Ludwig Heinrich Heydenreich
Ludwig Heinrich Heydenreich (born 23 March 1903 in Leipzig; died 14 September 1978 in Munich) was a German art historian specialized in Italian Renaissance art. From 1947 to 1970, he served as director of the Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte, ...
, Yale University Press; Second Revised edition, 1996; , pp. 74, 80, 101, 183 (index) & 184 (index)[''Venice & the East: The Impact of the Islamic World on Venetian Architecture 1100-1500'' by Deborah Howard, Yale University Press, 2000. , pp. 43, 183, 275 (index)][''Myths of Venice: The Figuration of a State'' by David Rosand, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2001; , p. 159][''From Filippo Lippi to Piero della Francesca: Fra Carnevale and the Making of a Renaissance Master'' by Keith Christiansen, Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications, New York, 2005; , pp. 106, 132][''Art in Renaissance Italy: 1350-1500'' by Evelyn Welch, Oxford University Press, 2001; , pp. 65, 347 (index)][''The Italian Renaissance'' by Peter Burke, Polity Press, Second revised edition, Cambridge, 1999; , pp. 46, 296 (index)][''The Concise Dictionary of Architectural and Design History'', by Frederic H. Jones, Crisp Publications, Los Altos, 1992; , p. 286][''Quaderni Giuliani di Storia ''Anno XXIII (n°1 gennaio-giugno 2002), pp. 21-35; article "La letteratura italiana in Dalmazia: una storia falsificata" by Giacomo Scotti]
and as Giorgio Orsini,
particularly in Italian sources
or in older English sources.
There are also references to him as "Giorgio Dalmatico"
or as "George the Dalmatian".
He is rarely listed among Croatian sculptors in English-language sources.
In Croatia, he is known under the
Croatian name of ''Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac''.
The family name of Orsini was never used by the artist and it was adopted by his son, after the death of his father.
[''Encyclopedia of Visual Arts of the ]Yugoslav Lexicographical Institute
Yugoslav or Yugoslavian may refer to:
* Yugoslavia, or any of the three historic states carrying that name:
** Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a European monarchy which existed 1918–1945 (officially called "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes" 1918–1 ...
'', vol 3 (Zagreb: 1964), article ''Juraj Dalmatinac''.[F. A. Galvani, Il re d'armi di Sebenico con illustrazioni storiche, Venice, Dr. v. P. Naratovich, 1884, p. 160, n. 2]
Notes
References
*Kokole, Stanko, "Giorgio da Sebenico",
Grove Art Online
''Grove Art Online'' is the online edition of ''The Dictionary of Art'', often referred to as the ''Grove Dictionary of Art'', and part of Oxford Art Online, an internet gateway to online art reference publications of Oxford University Press, ...
,
Oxford Art Online
Oxford Art Online is an Oxford University Press online gateway into art research, which was launched in 2008. It provides access to several online art reference works, including Grove Art Online (originally published in 1996 in a print version, ''T ...
, Oxford University Press, accessed 23 Oct. 2013
subscription required*Schulz, Anne Markham, "Giorgio da Sebenico and the Workshop of Giovanni Bon"
online PDFfrom
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, Providence, accessed 23 October 2013
Further reading
* Mariano Fabio, ''La Loggia dei Mercanti in Ancona e l’opera di Giorgio di Matteo da Sebenico'', Ed. Il lavoro editoriale, Ancona 2003.
* M. Fabio, ''La facciata di S. Agostino in Ancona e il suo restauro'', in Aa.Vv., Atti del Convegno "Arte e Spiritualità negli Ordini Mendicanti, II", Tolentino, Roma 1994.
* M. Fabio, ''La stagione adriatica del Gotico fiorito'', in F. Mariano, ''L’Architettura nelle Marche. Dall’Età classica al Liberty'',Ed. Nardini, Fiesole 1995, pp. 83–88.
External links
*
Short biography in SpanishImage Collectionat the
Fisher Fine Arts Library
The Fisher Fine Arts Library was the primary library of the University of Pennsylvania from 1891 to 1962. The red sandstone, brick-and-terra-cotta Venetian Gothic giant—part fortress and part cathedral—was designed by the acclaimed P ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giorgio da Sebenico
Year of birth uncertain
1473 deaths
Republic of Venice architects
Republic of Venice sculptors
Architects from Zadar
People from Šibenik
15th-century sculptors
History of Šibenik