Giovanni di paolo, St Catherine of Siena

Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia (''c.'' 1403–1482) was an Italian painter, working primarily in

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

, becoming a prolific painter and illustrator of manuscripts, including

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian people, Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', origin ...

's texts. He was one of the most important painters of the 15th century Sienese School. His early works show the influence of earlier Sienese masters, but his later style was more individual, characterized by cold, harsh colours and elongated forms. His style also took on the influence of

International Gothic International Gothic is a period of Gothic art which began in Burgundy, France, and northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th century. It then spread very widely across Western Europe, hence the name for the period, which was introduced by th ...

artists such as

Gentile da Fabriano Gentile da Fabriano ( – 1427) was an Italian painter known for his participation in the International Gothic painter style. He worked in various places in central Italy, mostly in Tuscany. His best-known works are his ''Adoration of the Magi ...

. Many of his works have an unusual dreamlike atmosphere, such as the surrealistic ''Miracle of St. Nicholas of Tolentino'' painted about 1455 and now housed in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, while his last works, particularly ''Last Judgment, Heaven, and Hell'' from about 1465 and ''Assumption'' painted in 1475, both at

Pinacoteca Nazionale (Siena) The Pinacoteca Nazionale is a national museum in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Inaugurated in 1932, it houses especially late medieval and Renaissance paintings from Italian artists. It is housed in the Brigidi and Buonsignori palaces in the city's center ...

, are grotesque treatments of their lofty subjects. Giovanni's reputation declined after his death but was revived in the 20th century.

Early life and works

The exact year of the birth of Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia is unknown. He was first documented in 1417 working for the Sienese

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of ...

as a miniaturist (manuscript illuminator). Northern, Franco-Flemish influences have been discussed in his work, particularly in the landscapes, and some have speculated he apprenticed with the

Limbourg Brothers The Limbourg brothers ( nl, Gebroeders van Limburg or Gebroeders Van Lymborch; fl. 1385 – 1416) were famous Dutch miniature painters (Herman, Paul, and Johan) from the city of Nijmegen. They were active in the early 15th century in France ...

who were in Siena about 1413, although this remains inconclusive, and apprenticeships with

Taddeo di Bartolo Taddeo di Bartolo (c. 1363 – 26 August 1422), also known as Taddeo Bartoli, was an Italian painter of the Sienese School during the early Renaissance. He is among the artists profiled in Vasari's biographies of artists or ''Vite''. Vas ...

and

Martino di Bartolomeo Martino di Bartolomeo or Martino di Bartolomeo di Biago was an Italian painter and manuscript illuminator active between 1389 and 1434. He was one of his generation's principal painters of the Sienese School. From specific aspects of his early ...

have also been proposed.K. Christiansen, L. B Kanter, and C. B. Strehlke (1988), Painting in Renaissance Siena 1420–1500. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York/Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 168-169 pp. Most of Giovanni's commissions came from local monastic communities which is apparent because so many of his early works are altarpieces for such churches. For example, ''The Virgin and Christ Child with Saints Bernardino, Anthony Abbot, Francis and Sabina'' and ''The Lamentation Over the Dead Christ'' (1462–3), a "square panel painting" altarpiece commissioned by

Pope Pius II Pope Pius II ( la, Pius PP. II, it, Pio II), born Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini ( la, Aeneas Silvius Bartholomeus, links=no; 18 October 1405 – 14 August 1464), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 August ...

(of the noble Sienese

Piccolomini The House of Piccolomini (pronounced ) is the name of an Italian noble family, Patricians of Siena, who were prominent from the beginning of the 13th century until the 18th century. The family achieved the recognised titles of Pope of the Cathol ...

family) for his recently finished cathedral.

Works and influences

Giovanni di Paolo - The Resurrection of Lazarus - Walters 37489A

Duccio di Buoninsegna - Resurrection of Lazarus - WGA06781

Most of the paintings that Giovanni di Paolo is known from today are in fact panels and fragments from disassembled altarpieces and

predella In art a predella (plural predelle) is the lowest part of an altarpiece, sometimes forming a platform or step, and the painting or sculpture along it, at the bottom of an altarpiece, sometimes with a single much larger main scene above, but oft ...

s. Notable examples include series of panels depicting Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Clare of Assisi, and Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist, which are now all scattered in museums and collections throughout Europe and North America. Giovanni di Paolo is known to have painted four altarpieces for chapels in San Domenic: ''Christ Suffering and Triumphant'' (early 1420s), the ''Pecci Altarpiece'' (1426), the ''Branchini Altarpiece'' (1427), and the
Guelfi Altarpiece
' (1445) which included ''Paradise'' now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Giovanni di Paolo was influenced by many great artists in

trecento The Trecento (, also , ; short for , "1300") refers to the 14th century in Italian cultural history. Period Art Commonly, the Trecento is considered to be the beginning of the Renaissance in art history. Painters of the Trecento included Giotto ...

and

quattrocento The cultural and artistic events of Italy during the period 1400 to 1499 are collectively referred to as the Quattrocento (, , ) from the Italian word for the number 400, in turn from , which is Italian for the year 1400. The Quattrocento encom ...

Italy. It is believed that he may have owned a model book of other artists’ work he could flip through and use that would fit his paintings. A few of these include the following:

's two Florentine altarpieces,

Ambrogio Lorenzetti Ambrogio Lorenzetti (; – 9 June 1348) or Ambruogio Laurati was an Italian painter of the Sienese school. He was active from approximately 1317 to 1348. He painted '' The Allegory of Good and Bad Government'' in the Sala dei Nove (Salon of Nin ...

's ''Presentation in the Temple'', and the Baptistery reliefs by

Donatello Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), better known as Donatello ( ), was a Florentine sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Florence, he studied classical sculpture and used this to develop a complete Renaissance s ...

.Christiansen, Kanter and Carl Brandon Strehlke. ''Painting In Renaissance Siena 1420–1500'' New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988 p 11 He would then be able to alter, modify, and combine these artists’ works into his own renderings. Throughout his career one can see how this model book was utilized because of certain figures he repeatedly used, "His isolated detail, a single figure, or group copied from another image is shown that he is naturally drawn to the inventions of his fellow artists". However much it would be looked down upon today to copy, in

and

Siena the culture valued an artist that could manipulate others' work and make it their own as creatively as Giovanni did. Giovanni di Paolo was influenced by many artists during his time, which can be seen in a number of his paintings. Giovanni's ''Raising of Lazarus'' is based on the same scene of Duccio's ''

Maestà Maestà , the Italian word for "majesty", designates a classification of images of the enthroned Madonna with the child Jesus, the designation generally implying accompaniment by angels, saints, or both. The ''Maestà'' is an extension of the "Se ...

''. "But where Duccio's figures are sober and restrained, Giovanni di Paolo's are voluble and animated". Giovanni was open to solutions other than the Sienese tradition which, "...made him receptive to sources farther afield as well".Ladis, Andrew. ''Studies In Italian Art''. London: The Pindar Press, 2001 p 276 One of these is the occasion where he painted a picture he had drawn from a mural in Assisi". His work and style show the transition from the Sienese and Gothic style into the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

. His style also took on the influence of

artists such as

. He was an artist of great consequence who had been invited by Pope Martin V to Rome. On his way to Rome, Gentile stopped in Siena, where Giovanni quickly assimilated Gentile's techniques. One technique he kept was Gentile's fascination with nature. Instead of using standing saints, as was customary, in his painting Giovanni used sprigs of flowering plants. Giovanni di Paolo's ''Adoration of the Magi'' and Gentile da Fabriano's ''Adoration of the Magi'' are one example of how nature was used by both artists and how Giovanni was able to create the same use of animals and plants from Gentile and make it his own. Where Gentile was capable of darkness and mystery, Giovanni, "...saw nature as untarnished and ever-benign". These works of art that Giovanni integrated into his own were, "...waiting to be imbued with personal meaning" a creation Giovanni was able to do well. It has been said that in his final years, although his imagination never weakened, his abilities to paint deteriorated and assistants helped in executing his work. He made his last will on January 29, 1484 and died sometime before March 27 of that year.

Style

Later in his life Giovanni became greatly skilled at painting illuminated manuscripts, he illuminated choir books for the Augustinian monks at Lecceto as well as Dante's ''

Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature ...

''. The illuminations that he created for Dante's poem are some of his most famous and best preserved works. His illuminations are one area viewers can see how Giovanni di Paolo differentiates himself from other Sienese artists. He may have been in contact with Franco-Flemish illuminators, who had been in Siena during Giovanni's early years. It seems their Northern influence may have rubbed off on Giovanni because his landscapes resemble those in the famous painting by the

Limbourg brothers The Limbourg brothers ( nl, Gebroeders van Limburg or Gebroeders Van Lymborch; fl. 1385 – 1416) were famous Dutch miniature painters (Herman, Paul, and Johan) from the city of Nijmegen. They were active in the early 15th century in France ...

; '' Tres Riches Heures''.Timothy Hyman, ''Sienese Painting'' (New York: Thames & Hudson, 2003), 162. His suspected master,

, probably taught him how to paint with a "toughness of line", which can be seen in any of his works. The most striking quality of Giovanni di Paolo's work is the fantastical quality.

John Pope-Hennessy Sir John Wyndham Pope-Hennessy (13 December 1913 – 31 October 1994), was a British art historian. Pope-Hennessy was Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum between 1967 and 1973, and Director of the British Museum between 1974 and 1976. ...

explains Giovanni di Paolo's work eloquently, "Few experiences in Italian painting are more exciting than to follow Giovanni di Paolo as he plunges, like Alice, through the looking-glass. If one looks at the ''Madonna of Humility'' (1435) the checkerboard landscape confirms the world beyond the garden scene in the foreground (also referred to as the ''

hortus conclusus ''Hortus conclusus'' is a Latin term, meaning literally "enclosed garden". At their root, both of the words in ''hortus conclusus'' refer linguistically to enclosure. It describes a genre of garden that was enclosed as a practical concern, a majo ...

''). This checkerboard panorama effect is used frequently by Giovanni for its ability "to create an abstraction of space, whose appeal is not to the fixed optic of the spectator, so much as to the winged flight of the dream-voyager." .

Illuminations of Dante's ''Paradiso''

After being appointed rector of the painter's guild in 1441, Giovanni di Paolo was the clear choice to illuminate Dante's '' Paradiso''. Working on what is known today as "The Yates Thompson Dante", Giovanni created 61 images to accompany the vernacular poem. Two other unknown artists worked on the ''

Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * Inferno (1973 fi ...

'' and ''

Purgatorio ''Purgatorio'' (; Italian for "Purgatory") is the second part of Dante's ''Divine Comedy'', following the '' Inferno'' and preceding the '' Paradiso''. The poem was written in the early 14th century. It is an allegory telling of the climb of D ...

'' illuminations. Giovanni di Paolo used his unique style to create an obviously Tuscan panorama in a sun-filled world that is much lighter and fresher than the two previous artists of the ''Inferno'' and ''Purgatorio''. A panel painting created after, and inspired by, this cycle of illuminations is ''The Creation and The Expulsion from Paradise'' (1445) in the Lehman Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Giovanni created a unique image by showing two separate scenes in one; God floating above the universe and the expulsion of Adam and Eve. One theory is that God is simultaneously expelling Adam and Eve and banishing them to earth.Laurinda S. Dixon, "Giovanni di Paolo's Cosmology", ''The Art Bulletin'' Vol. 67, No. 4 (1985): 604. But why then is his hand not pointing directly to the earth? A viable argument for this question is that by following the gaze of God's gesture the viewer's eye is led to a specific point on the

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pat ...

circle. Looking to the 11:00 position of the Zodiac circle, because it's the only symbol still recognizable, one can discern the symbol of Pisces which is not in its traditional position. Following the circle, in the 12:00 position is Aires and in the 1:00 position is Taurus. Traditionally in medieval times these signs represent spring, more importantly to this image, they represent the season of the Feast of the Annunciation. God seems to point directly to the date of the feast, March 25. One proposed reasoning for such gesture is that it is to remind the viewer of the Annunciation's significance, and to reflect upon "the purpose of the coming of Christ – to "repair the Fall" enacted by Adam and Eve in the adjoining sector of the panel, and to redeem the sins of man, which their Expulsion represents." Another interesting part of this image is that earth is encircled by multicolored rings. One argument is because during this time a

geocentric In astronomy, the geocentric model (also known as geocentrism, often exemplified specifically by the Ptolemaic system) is a superseded description of the Universe with Earth at the center. Under most geocentric models, the Sun, Moon, stars, an ...

view of the universe was widely accepted, Giovanni was simply following Dante's description of a "terrestrial world bounded by the orbits of the heavenly spheres". This theory is often challenged by pointing out that Dante only assigns ten circles but Giovanni depicts twelve. Some scholars believe Giovanni was referencing a book called the Sphera, which was made for lay people to give them a better understanding of the universe based on Greek cosmology (

Chaos Chaos or CHAOS may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements * Chaos (''Kinnikuman'') * Chaos (''Sailor Moon'') * Chaos (''Sesame Park'') * Chaos (''Warhammer'') * Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy'' * Cha ...

), which would account for Giovanni number of circles and also their colors.Laurinda S. Dixon, "Giovanni di Paolo's Cosmology", ''The Art Bulletin'' Vol. 67, No. 4 (1985): 606,610.

Gallery: tempera paintings

Creation-and-the-expulsion-from-the-paradise-11291.jpg, The Creation and the Expulsion from the Paradise (ca. 1438–44) Tempera & gold on wood (46.5 x 52 cm ) Metropolitan Museum of Art Paradise MET DT4767.jpg, Paradise (1445) Tempera & gold on wood (44.5 x 38.4 cm) Metropolitan Museum of Art The Annunciation with The Expulsion of Adam and Eva from Paradise (1440-45) Tempera & gold on wood (40 x 46 cm.) National Gallery of Art, Washington.jpg, The Annunciation with The Expulsion of Adam and Eva from Paradise (1440–45) Tempera & gold on wood (40 x 46 cm.) National Gallery of Art, Washington Madonna of Humility.Giovanni di Paolo. Boston MFA.jpg, Madonna of Humility (ca. 1442) tempera on panel (61.9 cm x 48.9 cm.) Museum of Fine Arts, Boston File:The_Adoration_of_the_Magi_(ca._1450)_tempera_on_panel_(10.5_x_18.25_in.)_National_Gallery_of_Art,_Washington.jpg, The Adoration of the Magi (ca. 1450) tempera on panel (10.5 x 18.25 in.) National Gallery of Art, Washington Giovanni di paolo, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.jpg, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (1430–35) tempera on wood (29 cm x 30 cm) Pinacoteca Vaticana Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Saving a Shipwreck Giovanni di Paolo 1457.jpg, Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Saving a Shipwreck (1457) tempera and gold on panel (20.5 × 16.5 in,) Philadelphia Museum of Art Giovanni di Paolo - Saint Clare Rescuing a Child Mauled by a Wolf - Google Art Project.jpg, Saint Clare Rescuing a Child Mauled by a Wolf (ca. 1455–60) Tempera & gold on panel (28.1 x 20.6 cm) Museum of Fine Arts, Houston File:Giovanni di paolo, St Stephen Suckled by a Doe.jpg, St Stephen Suckled by a Doe (1450) tempera on wood, Santo Stefano alla Lizza Giovanni di paolo, St Catherine Exchanging her Heart with Christ.jpg, St Catherine Exchanging her Heart with Christ (ca. 1475) Tempera & gold on wood (28.6 x 22.9 cm) Private collection, New York Giovanni di Paolo 001.jpg, Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness (1454) Tempera & gold on panel (31 × 39 cm) National Gallery, London Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist. (1454) National Gallery, London.jpg, Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist. (1454) National Gallery, London File:Giovanni di Paolo - The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist - 1933.1014 - Art Institute of Chicago.jpg, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (ca. 1455–60) Tempera on panel (66.3 × 36.6 cm) Art Institute of Chicago The Procession of Saint Gregory to the Castel Sant'Angelo (ca. 1470) Louvre.jpg, The Procession of Saint Gregory to the Castel Sant'Angelo (ca. 1470) Louvre, Paris

Illuminated manuscripts

File:Giovanni_di_Paolo,_Divine_Comedy,_Paradiso,_Beatrice_explaining_some_scientific_theories_to_Dante,_including_the_appearance_of_the_moon_(1444-50)_British_Library.jpeg, ''Divine Comedy, Paradiso: Beatrice explaining some scientific theories to Dante, including the appearance of the moon'' (1444–50) British Library 1K002578 Divine Comedy Giovanni di paolo.jpg, Divine Comedy, Paradiso: Dante and Beatrice meet Folco of Marseille, who denounces corrupt churchmen. (1444–50) British Library File:Giovanni_di_Paolo_(1444-50)_Paradiso_34,_Dante_and_Beatrice_before_the_eagle_of_Justice._British_Library.jpg, ''Divine Comedy, Paradiso 34: Dante and Beatrice Before the Eagle of Justice'' (1444–50) British Library Antiphonary II, Two kneeling saints beaten to death in a landscape (ca. 1442) Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena.jpg, Antiphonary II: Two kneeling saints beaten to death in a landscape (ca. 1442) Tempera, gold, and ink on vellum (20.5 x 10 cm.) Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena Antiphonary III, Christ wipes the eyes of the kneeling apostles (ca. 1442) Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena.jpg, Antiphonary III; The Madonna and Child enthroned in the angelic Host (ca. 1442) Tempera, gold, and ink on vellum (15 x 14.5 cm.) Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena Antiphonary IV, Office of the Dead (ca. 1442) Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena.jpg, Antiphonary IV: Illustration to the Office of the Dead (ca. 1442) Tempera, gold, and ink on vellum (15 x 26.5 cm.) Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena

Selected works (chronological)

* ''Madonna and Child with Angels'' (1426) * ''Saint Ansanus Baptizing'' (1440s). Christian Museum, Esztergom, Hungary * ''Saint Michael the Archangel'' (1440) Pinacoteca Vaticana,

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

, Rome, Italy * ''Madonna and Child with Two Angels and a Donor'' (1445). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States * ''Saints Clare and Elizabeth of Hungary'' (1445). Private collection. * ''Madonna and Child with Saints'' (1445).

Uffizi Gallery The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...

, Florence, Italy * ''Saint John The Baptist in Prison Visited by Two Disciples'' (1445/60). Art Institute of Chicago, United States * ''Saint Stephen Suckled by a Doe'' (1450). San Stefano alla Lizza, Siena, Italy * ''Saint John the Baptist Goes into the Wilderness'' (1454). Art Institute of Chicago, United States * ''Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Saving a Ship'' (1455). Philadelphia Museum of Art, United States * ''Coronation of the Virgin'' (1455). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States * ''Nativity'' (1460s). Christian Museum, Esztergom, Hungary * ''Saint Catherine before the Pope at Avignon'' (1460).

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum (in Spanish, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza (), named after its founder), or simply the Thyssen, is an art museum in Madrid, Spain, located near the Prado Museum on one of the city's main boulevards. I ...

, Madrid, Spain *
The Adoration of the Magi
' (1462). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States * ''The Virgin and Christ Child with Saints Bernardino, Anthony Abbot, Francis and Sabina'' and ''The Lamentation over the Dead Christ'' (1462–63). Pienza Cathedral, Italy * ''Madona and Christ at Throne'' (c.1462–1465).

National Museum of Serbia The National Museum of Serbia ( sr, / ) is the largest and oldest museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the central zone of Belgrade on a square plot between the Republic Square, formerly Theatre Square, and three streets: Čika Ljubina ...

, Belgrade, Serbia * ''Last Judgment, Heaven, and Hell'' (1465). Pinacoteca, Siena, Italy * ''Assumption of the Virgin'' (1475). Pinacoteca, Siena, Italy

References

External links

Links to other biographies and images of work at ArtCyclopedia.com
Giovanni di Paolo Dante illustrations in Yates Thompson 36
Giovanni di Paolo exhibition catalog
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art *Y. Safran, B. C. Keene, and D. Gasparotto. ''Giovanni di Paolo’s Shimmering Worlds on Parchment and Panel''
The Iris: Behind the Scenes at the Getty: November 29, 2016
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paolo, Giovanni di Italian Renaissance painters Quattrocento painters Painters from Siena 1400s births 1482 deaths Italian male painters 15th-century Italian painters Catholic painters