left, 180px, Medici_ Medici_citrus_collection,_1715">citrus.html"_;"title="Medici_citrus">Medici_citrus_collection,_1715 Bartolomeo_Bimbi_(15_May_1648_–_1729)_was_a_Florence.html" ;"title="citrus_collection,_1715.html" ;"title="citrus.html" ;"title="Medici citrus">Medici citrus collection, 1715">citrus.html" ;"title="Medici citrus">Medici citrus collection, 1715 Bartolomeo Bimbi (15 May 1648 – 1729) was a Florence">Florentine painter of still lifes, commissioned by his patrons including Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany to paint large canvases of flora and fauna for the Medici Villa dell'Ambrogiana and della Topaia, now conserved in the

Pitti Palace The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

and the Museo Botanico dell'Universita.

Life and Work

Son of Nicolò, he was born in

Settignano Settignano is a ''frazione'' on a hillside northeast of Florence, Italy. The little '' borgo'' of Settignano carries a familiar name for having produced three sculptors of the Florentine Renaissance, Desiderio da Settignano and the Gamberini broth ...

on May 15, 1648; in about 1661 he entered the workshop of

Lorenzo Lippi Lorenzo Lippi (3 May 1606 – 15 April 1665) was an Italian painter and poet. Biography Born in Florence, he studied painting under Matteo Rosselli. Both Baldassare Franceschini and Francesco Furini were also apprenticed with Rosselli, the ...

, where he remained until the death of the master (1665); then he joined

Onorio Marinari Onorio Marinari (1627 – January 5, 1715) was an Italian painter and printmaker of the Baroque period, active mainly in Florence. His father, Sigismondo di Pietro Marinari, was also a painter, and he trained with his cousin, Carlo Dolci, later be ...

as his apprentice. After a trip to Rome with Cardinal

Leopoldo de' Medici Leopoldo de' Medici (6 November 1617 – 10 November 1675) was an Italian cardinal, scholar, patron of the arts and Governor of Siena. He was the brother of Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Biography Prince Leopoldo was born a ...

, he began working for the Florentine court and aristocracy. Although his training made him suitable for figure painting, Bimbi is known almost exclusively for his activity as a painter of still lifes and portraits. Bimbi died in Florence on 14 January 1729. He partly was following the tradition of

Jacopo Ligozzi Jacopo Ligozzi (1547–1627) was an Italian painter, illustrator, designer, and miniaturist. His art can be categorized as late-Renaissance and Mannerist styles. Biography Born in Verona, he was the son of the artist Giovanni Ermano Ligozzi ...

in documenting the botanical collections of the Medici. He was a pupil of

and

. Others claim he was a pupil of

Angelo Gori Angelo is an Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger". People People with the given name *Angelo Accattino (born 1966), Italian prelate of the Catholic Church * Angelo Acciaioli (bishop) (1298–1357), Italian Ro ...

References

National Gallery Art exhibition titled ''The Flowering of Florence; Botanical art for the Medici''

Gallery

Bartolomeo Bimbi - The Pumpkin - WGA02200.jpg, Pumpkins Bartolomeo Bimbi - Grapes - WGA02198.jpg, Grapes Bartolomeo Bimbi - Shells - WGA02203.jpg, Shells Bartolomeo Bimbi - Citrus - WGA02199.jpg, Citrus Bartolomeo Bimbi (figs).jpg, Figs Painters from Florence Italian still life painters Botanical illustrators 1648 births 1729 deaths {{Italy-painter-17thC-stub