BARISANO da TRANI. – Sculptor and bronze founder of the 12th century. The door of the cathedral of Trani (1175), the other door of the cathedral of Ravello (1179), and the side door of the cathedral of Monreale are his works.
In these works, B. arranges within compartments framed by bands adorned with decorative motifs drawn from the Apulian sculptural tradition, from bronzes, ivories, and Eastern miniatures, images or groups of figures that stand out against the smooth background of the panels, displaying a vivid sense of sculptural values pursued through a solid yet supple manner of modelling. His iconographic themes belong almost entirely to the Eastern tradition, often interpreted with original and candid spontaneity. – Vedi Tav. LVII.
BIBLI: A. Muñoz, s. V. in Thieme-Becker, II, pp. 500-501; C. Augellilla, Le porte di bronzo bizantine, Arezzo 1924, pp. 24-25; P. Toesca, Storia dell'arte, I, Torino 1927, pp. 835, 1108, 1109. Luigi Bernucci