260px, Amadeo, Milan Cathedral
260px, The Colleoni Chapel in Bergamo.
Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (c. 1447 – 27 or 28 August 1522) was an
Italian Renaissance sculptor
Italian Renaissance sculpture was an important part of the art of the Italian Renaissance, in the early stages arguably representing the leading edge. The example of Ancient Roman sculpture hung very heavily over it, both in terms of style and t ...
of the
Early Renaissance
Renaissance art (1350 – 1620 AD) is the painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of the period of European history known as the Renaissance, which emerged as a distinct style in Italy in about AD 1400, in parallel with developments which occ ...
, architect, and engineer.
Biography
Amadeo was born in
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 ...
. In 1470 he was commissioned by
Bartolomeo Colleoni
Bartolomeo Colleoni (; 1400 – 2 November 1475) was an Italian condottiero, who became captain-general of the Republic of Venice. Colleoni "gained reputation as the foremost tactician and disciplinarian of the 15th century".''Websters New ...
to complete his funerary chapel, the
Cappella Colleoni in
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
, which had been begun by
Guiniforte and
Francesco Solari
240px, ''Madonna with Child'', church of Sant'Angelo, Milan.
Francesco Solari (c. 1415 – 1469) was an Italian sculptor, architect and engineer.
He was born in Milan, the son of Giovanni Solari and the brother of Guiniforte Solari.
Aroun ...
. Amadeo added polychrome decoration and many sculptures in the ancient style including medallions, small columns, busts, reliefs of "Histories from the Old Testament" and "Histories of Hercules". Amadeo also designed the funerary monument to Medea Colleoni, which was intended for the church of Santa Maria della Basella in
Urgnano
Urgnano (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italy, Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about south of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 8,704 and an ...
. The
condottiero's tomb was realized in collaboration with other artists, with Amadeo providing the reliefs of the lower sarcophagus and of the smaller upper sarcophagus, as well seven statues of the Virtues.
Amadeo was also commissioned by Duke
Galeazzo Maria Sforza
Galeazzo Maria Sforza (24 January 1444 – 26 December 1476) was the fifth Duke of Milan from 1466 until his assassination a decade later. He was notorious for being lustful, cruel, and tyrannical.
He was born to Francesco Sforza, a popul ...
to work for some years in the
Certosa di Pavia
The Certosa di Pavia is a monastery and complex in Lombardy, Northern Italy, situated near a small town of the same name in the Province of Pavia, north of Pavia. Built in 1396–1495, it was once located on the border of a large hunting ...
. During 1473–1476, Amadeo realized half of the bas-reliefs in the right side of the façade. In 1480 he finished the arch of the Persian Martyrs in the Olivetani Monastery of
Cremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...
(four marble reliefs remain today, dated 1484). Also attributed to him are two statues of Justice and Temperance in Cremona, and reliefs in the National Antiquity Museum of
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
. In 1485 he collaborated with his brother-in-law
Pietro Antonio Solari
Pietro Antonio Solari (Latin: Petrus Antonius Solarius)Z. Davidov. Stars on the towers. (Звезды на башнях) Moscow, 1963 (c. 1445 – May 1493), also known as Pyotr Fryazin, was an Italian architect and sculptor.
He was born in Ca ...
in the
Ospedale Maggiore
The Policlinico of Milan ( it, Policlinico di Milano) also known as Ospedale Maggiore di Milano or Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, is one of the oldest hospitals in Italy, founded by Duke Francesco Sforza in 1456. Today it is a modern ...
of Milan, a project of which he was made director ten years later.
Amadeo was then active in the decoration of the
Milan Cathedral
Milan Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Milano ; lmo, Domm de Milan ), or Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Nativity of Saint Mary ( it, Basilica cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Nascente, links=no), is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombard ...
. He collaborated with
Donato Bramante
Donato Bramante ( , , ; 1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style ...
on the facade of
Santa Maria presso San Satiro
Santa Maria presso San Satiro ( Saint Mary near Saint Satyrus) is a church in Milan. The Italian Renaissance structure (1476-1482) houses the early medieval shrine to Satyrus, brother of Saint Ambrose. The church is known for its false apse, ...
in Milan. In 1488 Amadeo was commissioned by Cardinal
Ascanio Sforza
Ascanio Maria Sforza Visconti (3 March 1455 – 28 May 1505) was an Italian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. Generally known as a skilled diplomat who played a major role in the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, Sforza served a ...
, to become director of works of the new
Pavia Cathedral
Pavia Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Pavia) is a church in Pavia, Italy, the largest in the city and seat of the Diocese of Pavia. The construction was begun in the 15th century on the site of two pre-existing Romanesque, "twin" cathedrals (Santo Stefa ...
, again with Bramante having a minor role. In 1489, he helped design and build the ''Arca di San Lanfranco'' for the
church of that name in Pavia. In this period he worked also as Ducal engineer for
Ludovico il Moro
Ludovico Maria Sforza (; 27 July 1452 – 27 May 1508), also known as Ludovico il Moro (; "the Moor"). "Arbiter of Italy", according to the expression used by Guicciardini, , designing fortifications at
Chiavenna and
Piattamale, as well as repairing of roads and bridges in
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline (occasionally spelled as two words in English: Val Telline; rm, Vuclina (); lmo, Valtelina or ; german: Veltlin; it, Valtellina) is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Toda ...
and (in the 16th century) hydraulic works; for Ludovico, he also realized a Loggia in the Ducal Palace of
Vigevano
Vigevano (; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Avgevan) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pavia, Lombardy in northern Italy. A historic art town, it is also renowned for shoemaking and is one of the main centres of Lomellina, a rice-growing a ...
, as well as some statues for the Milanese Cathedral. From 1495 Amadeo directed the works of the church of
Santa Maria presso San Celso
Santa Maria dei Miracoli presso San Celso is a church and a sanctuary in Milan, Lombardy, northern Italy.
History and overview
The construction was begun by Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono and Giovanni Battagio in 1493, to house a miraculous icon of the ...
at Milan.
From 1497 he directed works at the Milan Cathedral, finishing the tambour in 1500.
In the 16th century, Amadeo designed the church of
Santa Maria di Canepanova
Santa Maria di Canepanova is a Renaissance style Roman Catholic church located in central Pavia, region of Lombardy, Italy. Although in the past the design was popularly attributed to Bramante, the church was designed by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo.
...
, also in Pavia. In 1501 he sculpted reliefs with "Stories of the Carthusians" and "life of St. Bruno" for the Certosa of Pavia. In 1982
it has been proven that the Sanctuary of
Santa Maria alla Fontana in Milan, attributed for many years 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 ...
was in fact designed by Amadeo. In 1508 he also presented a model for the spire of the Milan Cathedral, which was not executed.
The notable façade of the Cathedral of
Lugano
Lugano (, , ; lmo, label=Ticinese dialect, Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Luga ...
, considered a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture, has also been attributed to Amadeo
He died in Milan in 1522.
References
*
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/early-renaissance-artists.htm
https://archive.org/stream/bollettinodellep1905bibl/bollettinodellep1905bibl_djvu.txt
External links
Metropolitan Museum of Art.org: ''Leonardo da Vinci: anatomical drawings from the Royal Library, Windsor Castle''(online PDF) — ''exhibition catalog with material on Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (see index)''.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amadeo, Giovanni Antonio
Italian Renaissance architects
Italian Renaissance sculptors
1440s births
1522 deaths
Architects from Pavia
Italian engineers
15th-century Italian architects
15th-century Italian sculptors
Italian male sculptors
16th-century Italian sculptors
16th-century Italian architects