Art & Architecture
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Pietrasanta, Jacopo da
PIETRASANTA, JACOPO da. - Architect active in Rome from 1452 to 1490. He was at first, it seems, a simple stonecutter and contractor of… -
Pinturicchio, Bernardino Betti (di Betto) detto Il
PINTURICCHIO, Bernardino Betti (di Betto) detto Il. - Painter, b. in Perugia in 1454, d. in Siena in 1513. Trained in the Umbrian milieu,… -
Piranesi, Giovanni Battista
PIRANESI, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. - Architect and engraver, b. at Mojano di Mestre on 4 Oct. 1720, d. at Rome on 9 Nov. 1778. He initiated… -
Pisanello, Antonio Pisano, called Il (PISANELLO, ANTONIO PISANO, DETTO IL)
PISANELLO, Antonio Pisano, called Il. - Painter, draughtsman, medallist, b. at Pisa before 1395, d. probably at Naples in 1450. Having… -
Pittoni, Giambattista
PITTONI, GIAMBATTISTA. - Painter, b. in 1687, perhaps in Venice, d. there on 17 Nov. 1767. He received the first rudiments of the art from… -
Pizzolo, Niccolò
PIZZOLO, NICCOLÒ. - Painter and sculptor, b. ca. 1420, d. in Padua in 1453. Unlike many other contemporary Paduan artists, he did not… -
Plaster (in art) (GESSO (NELL'ARTE))
PLASTER (IN ART). - Chemically, gypsum is hydrated calcium sulfate, poorly soluble in water. This solubility increases, however, as the… -
Poccetti, Bernardino Barbattelli detto Il (POCCETTI, BERNARDINO BARBATELLI, DETTO IL)
POCCETTI, BERNARDINO BARBATELLI, detto il. - Painter, also called Bernardino delle Facciate, delle Muse and delle Grottesche, b. in… -
Podestà, Francesco (PODESTI, FRANCESCO)
PODESTÀ, FRANCESCO. - Painter, b. in Ancona on 21 March 1800, d. in Rome on 10 Feb. 1895. Having moved early to Rome, at S. Luca he was a… -
Poletti, Luigi
POLETTI, LUIGI. - Architect, b. in Modena on 28 Oct. 1792, d. in Milan on 2 Aug. 1869. As a young man he studied in Bologna at the… -
Polidoro da Caravaggio
POLIDORO DA CARAVAGGIO. - Painter, b. c. 1500 at Caravaggio, d. at Messina (killed by a servant boy for the purpose of robbery) in 1543.… -
Pollaiuolo, Antonio di Jacopo Benci, detto del (POLLAIOLO, ANTONIO DI JACOPPO BENCI, DETTO DEL)
POLLAIUOLO, Antonio di Jacopo Benci, detto del. - Painter, sculptor, goldsmith, architect, b. in Florence ca. 1431 (according to others… -
Polvara, Giuseppe
POLVARA, GIUSEPPE. - Painter and architect, b. at Pescarenico (Lecco) on 23 Nov. 1884, d. at Milan on 20 Feb. 1950. Ordained a priest in… -
Polyptych (POLITTICO)
POLYPTYCH. - Term generally adopted to indicate a complex of more than three painted panels, joined together by a frame of an architectural… -
Pomarancio, Antonio Circignani, Called Il (POMARANCIO, ANTONIO CIRCIGNANI, DETTO IL)
POMARANCIO, Antonio Circignani, Called Il. - Born ca. 1580, died ca. 1640 (Baumgart places the limits of his life between 1570 and 1630):… -
Pomarancio, Cristoforo Roncalli, detto il
POMARANCIO, Cristoforo Roncalli, detto il. - Painter, b. at Pomarance, near Volterra, in 1552, d. at Rome on 14 May 1626. A pupil of… -
Pontelli, Bartolomeo, detto Baccio
PONTELLI, BARTOLOMEO, detto BACCIO. - Architect and master carpenter, b. in Florence before 1450, d. at Urbino after 1494. A pupil of… -
Pontormo, Jacopo Carucci (Carrucci), detto il
PONTORMO, JACOPO CARUCCI (CARRUCCI), detto il. - Florentine painter, b. 24 May 1494 near Empoli, d. in Florence in 1557. Son of a pupil of… -
Popular Iconography (ICONOGRAFIA POPOLARE)
POPULAR ICONOGRAPHY. - Sacred images have also been represented in ways suited to the taste, beliefs, and needs of the common people, and… -
Porcelain (PORCELLANA)
PORCELAIN. - It is one of the great classes into which the products of ceramics (v.) are divided. It is a paste artificially composed cold… -
Pordenone, Giovanni Antonio Sacchi (de Lodesanis, de Sacchis), detto il
PORDENONE, Giovanni Antonio Sacchi (de Lodesanis, de Sacchis), detto il. - Painter, b. at Pordenone in 1483-1484, d. at Ferrara on 12 Jan.… -
Portal (PORTA)
PORTAL. - In antiquity, alongside the monumental type, already present in Egyptian and Assyrian civilization, which in the imperial age… -
Portico
PORTICO. - The classic type of the portico, developed in Greco-Roman art, presents itself as a rectangular building, elongated, open on one… -
Poussin, Nicolas
POUSSIN, NICOLAS. - French painter, b. at Villers in Normandy in 1594, d. in Rome on Nov. 19, 1665. Trained in his homeland under the… -
Pozzo, Andrea
POZZO, ANDREA. - Born in Trento in 1642, after an initial pictorial education there and in Como he moved to Milan, where in 1665 he entered… -
Predella
PREDELLA. - In wood and marble, it is the panel or marble slab in the form of a very elongated rectangle, often divided into various… -
Pre-Raphaelites and Pre-Raphaelism (PRERAFFAELLITI E PRERAFFAELLISMO)
PRE-RAPHAELITES AND PRE-RAPHAELISM. - These are the terms by which the followers of a particular aesthetic doctrine, and the doctrine… -
Preti, Mattia, called Il Cavalier Calabrese (PRETI, MATTIA, DETTO IL CAVALIER CALABRESE)
PRETI, Mattia, called Il Cavalier Calabrese. - Painter, b. at Taverna (Catanzaro) on 24 Feb. 1613, d. at Malta on 3 Jan. 1699. Barely more… -
Previati, Gaetano
PREVIATI, GAETANO. - Painter, b. in Ferrara on 31 Aug. 1852, d. in Lavagna on 21 June 1920. As a young man he attended the studio of Amos… -
Previtali, Andrea, Also Known As Cordegliacchi (PREVITALI, ANDREA, DETTO ANCHE CORDEGLIACHI)
PREVITALI, Andrea, Also Known As Cordegliacchi. - Painter, b. c. 1470, d. in Bergamo in 1528. > (photo by Autor) PREVITALI, ANDREA, also… -
Procaccini
PROCACCINI. - Family of Bolognese painters, later transferred to Milan. ERCOLE THE ELDER, the progenitor, b. in Bologna in 1515, d. in… -
Prospero Antichi, called Il Bresciano (PROSPERO ANTICHI, DETTO IL BRESCIANO)
PROSPERO ANTICHI, called Il Bresciano. - Sculptor, b. in Brescia, active in Rome from c. 1580, d. there in 1599. He belongs to the group of… -
Prothesis (PROTESI)
PROTHESIS. - As "diaconicum," it is a term used to indicate, in Byzantine architecture or architecture derived from it, one of the two… -
Prothyron (PROTIRO)
PROTHYRON. - A small structure attached to the entrance of a church building, of a quadriportico or of a portico, is called a p.; in its… -
Pseudo-Boccaccino
PSEUDO-BOCCACCINO. - Name created by criticism to designate an unknown Lombard painter, whose only dated work of 1500 is the Washing of the… -
Pulvino
PULVINO. - The name itself (cushion) indicates its function; it is a marble element generally placed above the capital to support the… -
Puntasecca (PUNT'ASECCA)
PUNTASECCA. - By p. is meant that engraving obtained by the artist working the metal plate directly with a burin having a conical point or,… -
Purism (PURISMO)
PURISM. - The term and the attribute "purist" have been transferred into the field of the figurative arts from that of literature, in which… -
Puvis De Chavannes, Pierre
PUVIS de CHAVANNES, PIERRE. - Painter, b. in Lyon on 14 Dec. 1824, d. in Paris on 24 Oct. 1898. Raised in an environment dominated by the… -
Quarenghi, Giacomo
QUARENGHI, GIACOMO. - Architect, b. in 1744 at Valle Imagna (Bergamo), d. in 1817 at St. Petersburg. His father and his grandfather were… -
Raffaellino del Garbo
RAFFAELLINO DEL GARBO. - Florentine painter, b. around 1470, lived until about 1525. He was already distinguished into as many artists of… -
Raguzzini, Filippo
RAGUZZINI, FILIPPO. - Architect, b. at Benevento ca. 1680, d. at Rome in February 1771. He is a figure of an artist who in recent times has… -
Raibolini, Francesco, detto il Francia (FRANCIA, RAIBOLINI FRANCESCO, DETTO IL)
RAIBOLINI, Francesco, detto il Francia. - Painter, b. in Bologna around 1460, d. there on 5 January 1517. He is the best known and most… -
Raphael Sanzio (originally Santi, family from Colbordolo) (RAFFAELLO SANZIO (FORMA ORIGINALE SANTI, FAMIGLIA ORIUNDA DA COLBORDOLI))
RAPHAEL SANZIO (originally Santi, family from Colbordolo). - Painter and architect, b. at Urbino on 6 April 1483 (probable date), to… -
Rastrelli, Bartolomeo Francesco
RASTRELLI, BARTOLOMEO FRANCESCO. - Architect, son of the famous sculptor Carlo R., born in Paris ca. 1700, died in St. Petersburg… -
Refectory (REFETTORIO)
REFECTORY. - A room in convents and monasteries intended for communal meals. It is usually a large rectangular hall accessible from the… -
Relief (RILIEVO)
RELIEF. - In the figurative arts it is distinguished from the statuary group by being attached to a background plane from which figures,… -
Reliquary (RELIQUIARIO)
RELIQUARY. - The current name for the object chosen to contain relics; but since antiquity it has had a very great variety of names… -
Rembrandt (Rembrandt Harmenszogn Van Rijn or Van Rijn) (REMBRANDT (REMBRANDT HARMENSZOGN VAN RIJN O VAN RIJJN))
REMBRANDT (Rembrandt Harmenszogn Van Rijn or Van Rijn). - Painter and etcher, b. at Leiden on 15 July 1606, son of Harmen Gerritsz, owner… -
Reni, Guido
RENI, GUIDO. - Painter, b. at Calvenzano (Bologna) on 4 Nov. 1575, d. at Bologna on 9 Aug. 1642. At the age of twenty, in the school of the… -
Repoussé Work (FERRO BATTUTO)
REPOUSSÉ WORK. - The working of wrought iron, that is, of hammered, embossed and carved iron, with artistic intent, had its first diffusion… -
Restoration (RESTAURO)
RESTORATION. - I. IN ARCHITECTURE. - This is the term used to define those direct interventions on the structures and essential decorative… -
Resurrection of Jesus Christ (RISURREZIONE DI GESÙ CRISTO)
RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. - The historical fact of the R. of Christ and the related dogmatic treatment are set out at the entry GESÙ… -
Retablo
RETABLO. - The interpretation given here of this word, which belongs to the Spanish language, remains confined to the meaning it takes on… -
Rib (COSTOLONE)
RIB. - This is the name generally given to the arch placed diagonally that forms the load-bearing framework of vaults. This principle was… -
Rococo (ROCOCÒ)
ROCOCO. - Term that came into use in France in the 1700s to denote, together with the other term "rocaille", a particular kind of… -
Rodin, Auguste
RODIN, AUGUSTE. - Sculptor, b. in Paris on 12 Nov. 1840, d. at Meudon on 7 Nov. 1917, one of the most remarkable personalities of modern… -
Romanesque Art (ROMANICA, ARTE)
ROMANESQUE, ART. - The term "Romanesque" denotes that particular moment in European artistic culture, comprised between the 11th and 12th… -
Romanino, Girolamo di Romano, called Il (ROMANINO, GIROLAMO DI ROMANO, DETTO IL)
ROMANINO, Girolamo di Romano, called Il. - Painter, b. in Brescia between 1484 and 1487, died there ca. 1566. His first dated work is the… -
Rosa, Salvatore
ROSA, SALVATORE. - I. ART. - Painter and engraver, b. at Arenella near Naples on June 21, 1615 and d. in Rome on March 15, 1675. He devoted… -
Roseto, Jacopo da Bologna detto R
ROSETO, JACOPO da BOLOGNA detto R. - Goldsmith, active in Bologna in the last decades of the 14th century, of whom particular biographical… -
Rosone
ROSONE. - A circular window decorated with tracery, generally situated on the facade of churches. The use of strongly splayed circular… -
Rosselli, Cosimo
ROSSELLI, COSIMO. - Painter b. in Florence in 1439, d. there on 7 Jan. 1507. Having begun, as a youth, his artistic education in the… -
Rossellino, Family (ROSSELLINO, FAMIGLIA)
ROSSELLINO, FAMILY. - ANTONIO, sculptor, son of Matteo Gamberelli, b. at Settignano in 1427, d. at Florence in 1479. The following works… -
Rossetti, Dante Gabriele
ROSSETTI, DANTE GABRIELE. - English painter and poet, b. in London on 12 May 1828, d. at Birchington on 9 Apr. 1882. Son of the Italian… -
Rosso Fiorentino
ROSSO FIORENTINO - The Deposition from the Cross. Volterra, Palazzo dei Priori, Picture Gallery. > (from Du Mesnil de Buisson, Les… -
Rosso Fiorentino, Giovanni Battista di Jacopo di Gaspare, called Il (ROSSO FIORENTINO, GIOVAN BATTISTA DI JACOPO DI GASPARE, DETTO IL)
ROSSO FIORENTINO, Giovanni Battista di Jacopo di Gaspare, called Il. - Painter, b. in Florence in 1495, d. at Fontainebleau in 1540. The… -
Rubens, Peter Paul
RUBENS, PETER PAUL. - Painter b. at Siegen (Westphalia) on 28 (by courtesy of Msgr. A. P. Frutaz) RUBENS, PETER PAUL. - Detail of St. John… -
Ruskin, John
RUSKIN, JOHN. - English art critic and sociologist, b. in London on 8 Feb. 1819, d. at Brantwood (Lancashire) on 20 Jan. 1900. He defended… -
Rusuti, Filippo
RUSUTI, FILIPPO. - Mosaicist active in Rome between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th. In the upper part of the… -
Sacchi, Andrea
SACCHI, ANDREA. - Painter, b. at Nettuno (Rome) on 30 Nov. 1599, d. at Rome on 21 June 1661. His great public work is the altarpiece with… -
Sacconi, Giuseppe
SACCONI, GIUSEPPE. - Architect, b. at Montalto in the Marches on 5 July 1854, d. at Collegigliato di Pistoia on 23 Sept. 1905. A pupil in… -
Sacra Conversazione
SACRED CONVERSATION (SACRED CONVERSATION). - A composition in which images of saints are depicted in attitudes and expressions of… -
Sacred Art (ARTE SACRA)
SACRED ART. - Manifestations of art in B. are not found before the Romanesque period. To that era belong precisely the church of St.… -
Salimbeni, Lorenzo and Jacopo (SALIMBENI, LORENZO E JACOPO)
SALIMBENI, LORENZO AND JACOPO. - Painters. The information about these two artists, born at Sanseverino (Marche) and active in the first… -
Salvi, Nicola
SALVI, NICOLA. - Architect, b. in Rome on 6 Aug. 1697, d. there on 8 Feb. 1751. He was a pupil of the painter Niccolò Ricciolini and of the… -
Sangallo, Family of (SANGALLO, FAMIGLIA)
SANGALLO, FAMILY OF. - Florentine architects who took their name from the Porta S. Gallo in Florence, near which the founders of the family… -
Sanmicheli, Michele
SANMICHELI, MICHELE. - Architect, son of Giovanni, a military architect, probably originally from Ticino, born in Verona in 1484, died… -
Sansovino, Andrea Contucci detto il
SANSOVINO, Andrea Contucci detto il. - Architect and sculptor, b. at Monte S. Savino (from which the name derives) in 1460, d. probably… -
Sansovino, Jacopo Tatti detto il
SANSOVINO, Jacopo Tatti detto il. - Architect and sculptor, b. in Florence on 2 July 1486, d. in Venice on 27 Sept. 1570. A pupil of Andrea… -
Sartorio, Giulio Aristide
SARTORIO, GIULIO ARISTIDE. - Painter, b. in Rome on 11 Feb. 1860, d. there 3 Oct. 1932. A pupil of his father Raffaele, S. gained wide… -
Sassetta, Stefano di Giovanni di Consolo, called Il (SASSETTA, STEFANO DI GIOVANNI DI CONSOLO, DETTO IL)
SASSETTA, Stefano di Giovanni di Consolo, called Il. - Sienese painter b. in 1392, d. April 1, 1450. His first documented work, executed… -
Sassoferrato, Giovan Battista, Salvi detto il
SASSOFERRATO, GIOVAN BATTISTA, SALVI detto il. - Painter, b. at Sassoferrato in 1605, d. at Rome in 1685. Of his life very little is known… -
Scamozzi, Vincenzo
SCAMOZZI, VINCENZO. - Architect and theorist, b. at Vicenza in 1552, d. at Venice on 7 Aug. 1616. He perfected the instruction he had… -
Scarpagnino, Abbondi, Antonio detto lo
SCARPAGNINO, ABBONDI, ANTONIO detto lo. - Architect and stonecutter, b. in Milan and d. in Venice at a very advanced age in 1549. The… -
Scarsellino, Ippolito Scarsella detto lo (SCARSELLINO, IPPOLITO SCARSELLA, DETTO LO)
SCARSELLINO, Ippolito Scarsella detto lo. - Painter, b. in Ferrara in 1551 and d. there on 27 Oct. 1620. He was trained in art by his… -
Scenography (SCENOGRAFIA)
SCENOGRAPHY. - It is properly the art of painting scenes for theatrical performances, but since it is evident that the unity of a spectacle… -
Schiavone, Andrea Meldolla detto Io (SCHIAVONE, ANDREA MELDOLLA, DETTO IO)
SCHIAVONE, Andrea Meldolla detto Io. – Painter and engraver, b. at Zara in the early 1500s, d. at Venice in 1563. The date of birth is… -
Schmalzl, Maximilian
SCHMALZL, MAXIMILIAN. - Painter, lay brother of the Redemptorists, b. at Falkenstein (Bavaria), on 7 July 1850, d. in the convent of Gars… -
Schongauer, Martin
SCHONGAUER, MARTIN. - Painter and engraver, b. in Augsburg or in Colmar in Alsace between 1435 and 1443, d. in Breisach in 1491. In 1465 he… -
Scorpion (SCORPIONE)
SCORPION. - An animal of the arachnids, arthrogastric, of an olive-brown color; the flat body is provided with two large chelicerae and a… -
Sculpture (SCULTURA)
SCULPTURE. - It is properly the art tending to bring out the forms of figures and things in any material, either fully in the round, or in… -
Seasons (STAGIONI)
SEASONS. - The theme of the Seasons, because of its allegorical scope, interested Christian art from its very origins (v.… -
Sebastiano del Piombo
SEBASTIANO del PIOMBO. - S. Luciani, known as S. del P., painter, b. probably in Venice ca. 1485, d. in Rome on 21 June 1547. The erroneous… -
Segantini, Giovanni
SEGANTINI, GIOVANNI. - Painter b. at Arco in Trentino on 15 Jan. 1858, d. on the Schafberg in Engadine on 28 Sept. 1899. Left motherless… -
Seghers, Daniel
SEGHERS, DANIEL. - Jesuit, painter, b. in Antwerp on 6 Dec. 1590, d. there on 2 Nov. 1661. As a pupil in art of his father Peter and of Jan… -
Seitz, Ludovico
SEITZ, LUDOVICO. - Painter, b. in Rome on 11 June 1844, d. there on 11 Sept. 1908, son of the painter Alessandro Massimiliano, who in… -
Serlio, Sebastiano
SERLIO, SEBASTIANO. - Architect and architectural theorist, b. in Bologna on 5 Sept. 1475, d. in Lyon in 1554. He is found between 1509 and… -
Serpotta, Giacomo
SERPOTTA, GIACOMO. - Sculptor, b. in Palermo on 10 March 1656, d. there on 27 Feb. 1732. A distant ancestor of his was a certain Guglielmo… -
Serra, Luigi
SERRA, LUIGI. - Painter, b. in Bologna on 8 June 1846, d. there on 11 Aug. 1888. In 1868 he went to study in Florence; then he was in Rome,… -
Signorelli, Luca
SIGNORELLI, LUCA. - Painter, b. at Cortona around the middle of the 15th century, d. there on 16 October 1523. Recorded as early as 1470,… -
Silvester of Sulmona (of L'Aquila) (SILVESTRO DA SULMONA (DELL'AQUILA))
SILVESTER OF SULMONA (of L'Aquila). - Sculptor, son of Giacomo, also called S. dell'Aquila from his place of birth, has very often been… -
Sirens (SIRENE)
SIRENS. - From the Greek Σειρήν, Σιρήν (Latin siren, sirena), mythological monsters whose song, accompanied by musical instruments, seduced… -
Sketch (BOZZETTO)
SKETCH. - It is a model of painting or sculpture, executed in small dimensions, to summarily define the compositional lines and bring out… -
Sluter, Claus
SLUTER, CLAUS. - Sculptor, probably b. in Haarlem during the first half of the 14th century, d. at Dijon between Sept. 1405 and Jan. 1406.… -
Sodoma, Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, called Il (SODOMA, GIOVANNI ANTONIO BAZZI, DETTO IL)
SODOMA, Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, called Il. - Painter, b. at Vercelli in 1477, d. at Siena on 15 February 1549. At the age of thirteen he… -
Solario, Andrea
SOLARIO, ANDREA. - Painter, b. in Milan between 1458 and 1460, younger brother of Cristoforo, whom he followed to Venice around 1490. The… -
Solario, Antonio detto Lo Zingaro
SOLARIO, ANTONIO detto lo ZINGARO. - Painter, active in the last decade of the 1400s and the first years of the 1500s. In his works he… -
Solari, Pietro Antonio
SOLARI, PIETRO ANTONIO. - Son of Guiniforte, Lombard architect and sculptor. There is evidence of him from 1446; he died in Moscow in 1493.… -
Solari (Solario), Cristoforo detto Il Gobbo
SOLARI (SOLARIO), CRISTOFORO detto IL GOBBO. - Milanese sculptor and architect, b. around 1460, d. according to some at Vigevano in 1525,… -
Solimena, Francesco
SOLIMENA, FRANCESCO. - Called the abbot Ciccio, painter and architect, b. at Canale di Serino (Avellino) on 4 Oct. 1657, d. at Barra near… -
Spada, Virgilio
SPADA, VIRGILIO. - Oratorian, architect, b. at Brisighella (Faenza) on 17 July 1596, d. at Rome on 11 Dec. 1662. A close relative of… -
Spagnoletto, Jusepe de Ribera, detto Lo
SPAGNOLETTO, Jusepe de Ribera, detto Lo. - Painter, b. at Játiva (Spain) on 12 January 1588, d. at Posillipo (Naples) on 2 September 1652.… -
Sperandio Di Mantova
SPERANDIO di MANTOVA. - Sculptor and engraver, son of the Roman goldsmith Bartolomeo di S. Savelli, b. in Mantua in 1431, d. there in 1504.… -
Squarcione, Francesco
SQUARCIONE, FRANCESCO. - Paduan painter, b. in 1397, d. in 1468. A tailor and embroiderer, he devoted himself to painting in 1429 and was… -
Stained Glass (VETRATA)
STAINED GLASS. — The precursors of that kind of transparent mosaic which is stained glass were the closures of basilican windows in the 4th… -
Starnina, Gherardo
STARNINA, GHERARDO. - Gherardo di Jacopo di S., painter. Enrolled among the painters of Florence from 1387, between 1398 and 1401 he went… -
Stephen of Florence (STEFANO FIORENTINO)
STEPHEN OF FLORENCE. - 14th-century painter, father of that Tommaso known as Giottino, whose personality has recently been the subject of… -
Stimmer, Tobias
STIMMER, TOBIAS. - Painter and engraver, b. in Schaffhausen on 17 April 1539, d. in Strasbourg on 4 January 1584. He is one of the… -
Stoffe
STOFFE. — The most recent excavations show that the art of weaving goes back to the most remote Stone Age. The discoveries made in Egypt,… -
Stoss, Veit (Stwosz Wit)
STOSS, VEIT (STWOSZ WIT). - Sculptor of the German late Gothic, b. probably in Nuremberg in the fifth decade of the 15th century, d. there… -
Strozzi, Bernardo
STROZZI, BERNARDO. - Called the Genoese Capuchin, painter, b. in Genoa in 1581, d. in Venice in 1644. He is among the most notable Genoese… -
Strzygowski, Joseph
STRZYGOWSKI, JOSEPH. - Art historian, b. at Biela, in what was then Austrian Silesia, on 7 March 1862, d. on 7 Jan. 1941. He studied… -
Stucco
STUCCO. - It is a mixture of lime and pozzolana blended with marble dust or gypsum; once dried it becomes hard and workable with a chisel… -
Subleyras, Pierre
SUBLEYRAS, PIERRE. - Painter and engraver, b. at St-Gilles-du-Gard (Languedoc) on 25 Nov. 1699, d. in Rome on 28 May 1749. Having received… -
Superior School of Christian Art "Blessed Angelico" (SCUOLA SUPERIORE D'ARTE CRISTIANA «BEATO ANGELICO»)
SUPERIOR SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN ART "BLESSED ANGELICO". - Founded by Msgr. G. Polvara (v.) in October 1921 with the twofold purpose of… -
Surrealism (SURREALISMO)
SURREALISM. - French literary and artistic movement. The term "surrealist" appears for the first time as the subtitle of a play by G.… -
Tacca, Pietro
TACCA, PIETRO. - Sculptor and architect, b. at Carrara on 6 Sept. 1577, d. at Florence on 26 Oct. 1640. Having settled in Florence in 1592,… -
Taddeo di Bartolo
TADDEO di BARTOLO. - Painter, b. in Siena around 1362, d. there in 1422; son of Bartolo di Mino, a barber, and not of the painter Bartolo… -
Tapestry (ARAZZO)
TAPESTRY. - It is a special fabric made with a high-and-low warp loom using threads of wool and silk colored in many gradations and… -
Tarsia
TARSIA. - A craft practice consisting in joining on the surface fragments or veneers of differently colored woods in order to obtain, also… -
Taurino, Gian Paolo
TAURINO, GIAN PAOLO. - Jesuit carver, b. in Milan on 31 May 1580, d. there on 1 May 1656. He entered the Order on 22 Oct. 1597 together… -
Tempesta, Antonio
TEMPESTA, ANTONIO. - Painter, b. in Florence in 1555, d. in Rome in 1630. A pupil of Jan van der Straat and of Santi di Tito. While still… -
Tenerani, Pietro
TENERANI, PIETRO. - Sculptor b. at Torrano near Carrara on 11 Nov. 1789, d. at Rome on 14 Dec. 1869. Started in art by his uncle Pietro… -
Teniers, David
TENIERS, DAVID. - Painter b. in Antwerp on 15 Dec. 1610, d. in Brussels on 25 Apr. 1690. A pupil of his father, he was recognized as a… -
Theophanes (Feofan) the Greek (TEOFANE (FEOFAN), IL GRECO)
THEOPHANES (FEOFAN) THE GREEK. - Fresco painter of churches and painter of icons, he flourished in Novgorod and Moscow in northern and… -
Thomas of Modena (TOMMASO DA MODENA)
THOMAS OF MODENA. - Painter and miniaturist, b. in Modena around 1325 to Barisino dei Barisini, d. there before 1379. He worked… -
Thorvaldsen, Bertel
THORVALDSEN, BERTEL. - Sculptor, b. in Copenhagen on 13 Nov. 1768, d. there on 24 March 1844. First a pupil of his father, then of… -
Tiarini, Alessandro
TIARINI, ALESSANDRO. - Painter, b. in Bologna on 23 March 1577, d. there on 8 February 1668. He began his training in art with Prospero… -
Tibaldi, Pellegrino
TIBALDI, PELLEGRINO. - Also called Pellegrino de' Pellegrini, painter and architect, b. at Puria (Valsolda) in 1527, d. at Milan on 27 May… -
Tiburium (TIBURIO)
TIBURIUM. - This is the name given to a polygonal roof divided into wedge-shaped sections, covered on the outside by masonry that supports… -
Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista
TIEPOLO, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. - Painter, b. in Venice on 5 March 1696, d. in Madrid on 27 March 1770. Son of Domenico "parcenevole di… -
Tiepolo, Lorenzo Baldissera
TIEPOLO, LORENZO BALDISSERA. - Painter, b. 1 Aug. 1736 in Venice, d. shortly before 8 Aug. 1776 in Madrid; son of G. Battista. He followed… -
Tino di Camaino di Crescenzio di Diotisalvi
TINO DI CAMAINO DI CRESCENZIO DI DIOTISALVI. - Sculptor and architect, b. in Siena around 1280, d. in Naples in 1336 or 1337. The first… -
Tintoretto (Robusti), Jacopo, detto Il (TINTORETTO, JACOPO ROBUSTI DETTO IL)
TINTORETTO, JACOPO ROBUSTI called il - Born in Venice between 1518 and 1519. This date, in contrast with that given by Ridolfi (1512) and… -
Titian, Vecellio (TIZIANO, VECELLIO)
TITIAN, VECELLIO. - Painter, b. at Pieve di Cadore, probably around 1488-90, d. at Venice on 27 Aug. 1576. Son of Gregorio and Lucia,… -
Tito, Ettore
TITO, ETTORE. - Painter b. at Castellammare di Stabia on 15 Dec. 1859, d. at Venice on 26 June 1941. A pupil for a short time at Naples… -
Tomb (TOMBA)
TOMB. - The tomb is of interest to the history of civilization as an often irreplaceable testimony to the creative aptitudes of very… -
Toreutics (TOREUTICA)
TOREUTICS. - It is the art of working metals through casting, hammering, engraving, chasing, etc. Especially for antiquity the term is used… -
Tormoli, Ambrocino
TORMOLI, AMBROCINO. - Dominican, glass painter, b. at Soncino before 1450, d. at Bologna in 1527. He entered the Dominicans at Bologna as a… -
Torriti, Jacopo
TORRITI, JACOPO. - Painter and mosaicist, active in Rome at the end of the 13th century. His certain works: the apse mosaic of the basilica… -
Traini, Francesco
TRAINI, FRANCESCO. - Pisan painter of the 14th century. Vasari, who was the first to write about him, defined him as the best disciple of… -
Tronchi, Bartolomeo
TRONCHI, BARTOLOMEO. - Jesuit, carver, b. at Brezzo (Florence) in 1529, d. at Rome on 23 Nov. 1604. Having entered the Order in Rome in… -
Tura, Cosimo, called Cosmè (TURA, COSIMO, DETTO COSMÉ)
TURA, Cosimo, called Cosmè. - Painter, b. at Guarda Ferrarese around 1430 and d. at Ferrara in April 1495. From an examination of his… -
Ugolino di Vieri di Ugolino
UGOLINO di VIERI di UGOLINO. - Sienese goldsmith, d. between 1380 and 1385; he was trained in the art by his father, together with his… -
Umile of Petralia (UMILE DA PETRALIA)
UMILE OF PETRALIA. - Sicilian sculptor, in the world Giovanni Francesco Pintormo, b. at Petralia Soprana in 1580, d. at Palermo on 9… -
Valadier, Giuseppe
VALADIER, GIUSEPPE. - Architect b. in Rome on 14 April 1762 and d. there on 1 February 1839. His father, an engraver and metal founder, was… -
Valentin, Louis de Boullonne, called the (VALENTIN, LOUIS DE BOULLONNE, DETTO IL)
VALENTIN, LOUIS DE BOULLONNE, detto il. - Painter, b. at Coulommiers (Brie) in 1592, d. in Rome in Aug. 1632. He worked extensively in Rome… -
Valeriani, Giuseppe
VALERIANI, GIUSEPPE. - Jesuit, painter and architect, b. at L'Aquila in 1542, d. at Naples on 15 July 1596. A disciple of Pompeo Cesura,… -
Van der Weyden, Roger
VAN DER WEYDEN, ROGER. - Painter, b. at Tournai around 1400 and d. at Brussels on 16 June 1464. He had various names, from "Rogelet de la… -
Van Dyck, Anton
VAN DYCK, ANTON. - Painter, b. at Antwerp on 22 March 1599, d. at London on 9 Dec. 1641. He frequented Rubens's workshop at Antwerp, but… -
Van Eyck, Hubert and Jan (EYCK, HUBERT E JAN VAN)
VAN EYCK, Hubert and Jan. - H., died in 1436, still mentioned in 1425; J., the younger brother, died in 1441. A late (?) inscription on the… -
Van Gogh, Vincent
VAN GOGH, VINCENT. - Dutch painter, b. at Groot-Zundert on 30 March 1853, d. by suicide at Auvers-sur-Oise on 29 July 1890. His painting… -
Vanvitelli, Luigi
VANVITELLI, LUIGI. - Architect, b. in Naples on 26 May 1700, d. at Caserta on 1 March 1773. Son of the Dutch view painter Gaspare Van… -
Vasari, Giorgio
VASARI, GIORGIO. - Painter, architect and writer, b. 27 July 1511 in Arezzo, d. 27 June 1574 in Florence. Having shown an aptitude for… -
Vault (VÒLTA)
VAULT. - A roof wall structure, shaped in view according to a curved surface, and exerting a thrusting action on its supports (piers);… -
Vecchietta, Lorenzo di Pietro, detto Il
VECCHIETTA, Lorenzo di Pietro, detto Il. - Painter, sculptor and architect, b. at Castiglione di Val d'Orcia in 1412, d. at Siena on 6 June… -
Vela, Vincenzo
VELA, VINCENZO. - Sculptor, b. at Ligornetto near Mendrisio in the Canton of Ticino on 3 May 1822, d. there on 4 Oct. 1891. The first… -
Velázquez, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y (VELÁZQUEZ, DIEGO RODRIGUEZ DE SILVA Y)
VELÁZQUEZ, DIEGO RODRÍGUEZ DE SILVA Y. - Painter, b. in Seville on 6 June 1599 and d. in Madrid on 7 Aug. 1660. A pupil of the colourist… -
Venturi, Adolfo
VENTURI, ADOLFO. - Born in Modena on 4 September 1856, died at Santa Margherita Ligure on 10 June 1941. He is the greatest of the modern… -
Verrocchio, Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, detto il
VERROCCHIO, ANDREA di MICHELE di FRANCESCO de' CIONI, detto il. - Painter, sculptor and goldsmith, b. in Florence in 1436 and d. in Venice… -
Vespignani, Virgilio (Virginio)
VESPIGNANI, VIRGILIO (VIRGINIO). - Architect, b. in Rome on 12 Feb. 1828, d. there on 4 Dec. 1882. He gained his first experience alongside… -
Vestments (RIVESTIMENTI)
VESTMENTS. - The practice of facing wall structures with marble or stucco was already widespread in classical antiquity and was immediately… -
Vignola, Giacomo Barozzi (Barozio) da
VIGNOLA, GIACOMO BAROZZI (BAROZIO) da. - Architect, b. at Vignola (Modena) on 1 Oct. 1507, d. at Rome on 7 July 1573. He completed his… -
Viligelmo
VILIGELMO. - Sculptor of the 12th century, active in Modena. He can be considered the founder of Romanesque sculpture in Upper Italy and in… -
Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène-Emmanuel
VIOLLET-LE-DUC, EUGÈNE-EMMANUEL. - French architect and writer, b. in Paris on 21 Jan. 1814, son of the writer Emmanuel-Nicolas, d. in… -
Vittoria, Alessandro
VITTORIA, ALESSANDRO. - Sculptor and architect, b. in Trento in 1524, d. in Venice on 27 May 1608. Sent to Venice at the age of nineteen by… -
Vivarini, Family (VIVARINI, FAMIGLIA)
VIVARINI, FAMILY. - Murano painters, active in Venice between c. 1440 and the early 1500s. ANTONIO. - Son of Michele, a glassmaker, he is… -
Volvinio (Volvinius) (VUOLVINIO (VOLVINIO))
VOLVINIO (VOLVINIUS). - Goldsmith active in the first half of the 9th century, author of the golden altar, a masterpiece of Carolingian… -
Watercolor (ACQUERELLO)
WATERCOLOR. - A method of painting on a white or very light ground by means of transparent colours, prepared with gum arabic and glycerine… -
Window (FINESTRA)
WINDOW. - An opening through the full thickness of a wall, made for the admission of light. It may consist of one, two or more elements… -
Witz, Konrad
WITZ, KONRAD. - Painter, b. around 1400 and d. around 1466 at Basel or Geneva. The first known work of K. W. is an altarpiece (after 1434)… -
Wolgemut, Michael
WOLGEMUT, MICHAEL. - Painter and sculptor of Nuremberg, b. in 1434, d. in 1519, also known for having been the teacher of Albrecht Dürer,… -
Wood (LEGNO)
WOOD. - From the earliest manifestations of Mediterranean civilization, precious wooden material found use in the applied arts. During the… -
Zavattari, Family (ZAVATTARI, FAMIGLIA)
ZAVATTARI, FAMILY. - Milanese painters. The documents attest to the activity, in Milan, of a CRISTOFORO, of a FRANCESCO, father of AMBROGIO… -
Zuccari, Taddeo E Federico
ZUCCARI, TADDEO and FEDERICO - Painters. TADDEO, b. at S. Angelo in Vado near Urbino on 1 Sept. 1529, d. in Rome on 1 Sept. 1566. His first… -
Zurbarán, Francisco de
ZURBARÁN, FRANCISCO de. - Painter, b. at Fuente de Cantos (province of Badajoz in Extremadura) on 7 Nov. 1598 and d. at Madrid after 28…