Pier Antonio Mezzastris (or Pierantonio Mezastris; c. 1430 – c. 1506) was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento, painting in a somewhat provincial style for the time. He was born at

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 ...

in Umbria. He painted religious subjects, working mostly in fresco, and was a local painter, in that all of his known works can be found within 15 km (10 mi) of his hometown, except for two frescoes in Narni. Though his subjects are very limited, his work is good, marked by technical ability and polish combined with elegance and delicacy of feeling. He is described as a follower of Benozzo Gozzoli.Encyclopedia Treccani
entry on Pierantonio Mezzastris. He should not be confused with

Bernardino Mezzastris Bernardino (or Belardino) Mezzastris (or Mezastris) (ca. before 1539) was an Italian painter of the Umbrian School, from Foligno in Umbria, Italy. He was a minor artist: some of his frescoes on religious subjects survive, but garnered little criti ...

, a much lesser artist, possibly his son. His sister, Onofria, married

Matteo da Gualdo Matteo da Gualdo or Matteo di Pietro di Ser Bernardo (Gualdo Tadino, circa 1435-1440 - 1507) was an Italian painter, active in Gualdo Tadino, Nocera Umbra, and Assisi. Biography He likely trained under the painter from Foligno, Bartolomeo di To ...

, a painter from

and active in Ancona and Norcia.

Works

Definite works by Mezzastris include: *Foligno: **''Madonna & Saints'' (1486) and other detached frescoes now in Pinacoteca Civica, **Large monochrome fresco in the church of San Domenico **''Madonna & Child with St Lucia and St Claire'', fresco (1471) in monastery of S. Lucia **''Madonna & Child with Two Female Saints'', fresco in monastery of S. Anna **''Madonna & Child with Angels, Saints, and Sibyls'', in the church of Madonna della Fiamenga **Frescoes in the church of S. Maria in Campis, 2 km (1 mi) from Foligno **''Madonna & Saints'', frescoes in church of Vescia, 5 km (3 mi) from Foligno *elsewhere: **Oratorio dei Pellegrini in

Assisi Assisi (, also , ; from la, Asisium) is a town and ''comune'' of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Propertius, born aroun ...

: the frescoes of the vault, depicting the Doctors of the Church; on the walls, frescoes of St Anthony Abbot blessing the Camels, and of the Miracles of St James **''Crucifixion'' (1482) in the convent of S. Damiano near Assisi **''Madonna Worshipping the Child, with St Francis and St Anthony of Padua'', in the church of S. Martino of Trevi **"St Anthony's Niche", with several frescoes, in the church of S. Francesco of Montefalco **Scenes from the life of St Francis, and Two Scenes from the life of St Benedict, in church of S. Francesco in Narni Attributed to Mezzastris are: *''St Francis receiving Stigmata'', in monastery of S. Anna of Foligno *''St Francis receiving Stigmata'' in

San Girolamo, Spello San Girolamo is a 15th-century Roman Catholic church located in Spello, province of Perugia, region of Umbria, Italy. History The church and adjacent Franciscan monastery were built in 1472-1482 under the patronage of Braccio II Baglioni, then lor ...

*''Crucifixion'' (fresco, damaged), in church of S. Vincenzo of

Bevagna Bevagna is a town and ''comune'' in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria), in the flood plain of the Topino river. Bevagna is south-east of Perugia, west of Foligno, north-north-west of Montefalco, south of Assisi and ...

*''Madonna and Child with Angel'' (very damaged), in church of S. Agostino of Montefalco *''Deposition'', fresco in the Duomo of Narni *"St. Roch and the Redeemer" (ca. 1480) " painting in the

Church of San Giacomo (Foligno) San Giacomo is a Gothic-style, Roman Catholic church located at the ''Piazza San Giacomo'', Foligno, Italy. History The site on which the church was built in 1402 was originally the site of an old hospice, dedicated to St. James, as attested in a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mezzastris, Pier Antonio 1430s births 1500s deaths People from Foligno 15th-century Italian painters 16th-century Italian painters Umbrian painters Quattrocento painters Italian male painters