Domenico Veneziano

Domenico Veneziano

Domenico_di_Bartolomeo moved from Venice to Florence at a young age. There he had the opportunity to see for himself Masaccio ‘s paintings, and to study the calculated positioning of the figures and use of space (the so- called Renaissance Perspective), as can be seen in the Adoration_of_the_Magi at Berlin State Museum. In this work the influence of the late Gothic_style of Gentile _da_ Fabriano still shows, as well as the courtly_style in the portrayal of the clothes, while the landscapes were inspired by Northern_European_Art, which analysed all minute detail with precise accuracy.

He made a name for himself later, with the almost completely destroyed Scenes from the life of the Virgin frescos in Sant’Egidio Church, and with the Virgin and Child with the Eternal frescoed in the Canto de’ Carnesecchi, and now at the National Gallery, London. His greatest work remains, however, the altar – piece at the Uffizi, which comes from the Church_of_Santa_Lucia_dei_Magnoli. It also had an altar – step painted with The_Stigmata_of_St_Francis, St_John_in_the_Desert, the Annunciation, the Miracle_of_St_Zenobius and the Martyrdom_of_Santa_Lucia, now scattered among museums in Washington, Cambridge and Berlin.

The main picture shows the Virgin enthroned with Child, surrounded by St_Francis, St_John, St_Zenobius and Santa_Lucia. The most important innovative aspect is the presence of a diffuse daytime light, that reaches all parts in a precise and calculated way. It is an example of a Renaissance picture, painted with a wide range of colours never previously used, and with an attempt at perfection and purity of form. In his final works, which include St_John_the_Baptist_and_St_Francis, the artist moved towards a stronger plasticism which brought out the dramatic force.

Madonna_and_Child

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