Andrea del Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio, Andrea di Michele actually Cioni (* 1435 or 1436 in Florence, † October 10, 1488 in Venice) was one of the most influential artists in the transition period from early to high Renaissance.
Life
About the early years little is known Secured. After an apprenticeship as a goldsmith, he seems to have received training as a sculptor. The mid- 1460s began its rise as a sculptor - under the energetic promotion by Piero de 'Medici and his son Lorenzo. At the same time he seems to have intense busy with painting; However, it is uncertain whether and where he learned ( Alesso Baldovinetti or Fra Filippo Lippi? ). 1472 he has belonged to the Brotherhood of Painters. Verrocchio was curator of the antiquities collection of the Medici family in Florence. As a restorer, he had the opportunity to study ancient statues in detail and thus lay the foundations of his own works.
Over two decades, he led a productive, universally oriented workshop, in addition to sculptures and paintings and handicrafts such as costumes and equipment were prepared for festivities. She was also a well-attended training center for young artists of the High Renaissance (among other Perugino, Leonardo da Vinci and Lorenzo di Credi ). In 1483 he received from the Republic of Venice commissioned to create in memory of the mercenary leader Condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni an equestrian statue, which was however not completed until after his death. In Venice Verrocchio is deceased in 1488, but was buried in Florence.
Works
Hardly any of the paintings attributed to him is safe to assign. Significantly Verrocchio was primarily as a sculptor. Even with the authenticated works dating is often uncertain. 1475 he made the Baptism of Christ (Uffizi, Florence), but also on the participation of the young Leonardo da Vinci is unmistakable. Another painting from his hand are: the Madonna and Child (c. 1470, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin ) and Tobias and the Angel ( 1470-1480, National Gallery, London).
In the 1472 finished tomb of Piero and Giovanni de 'Medici, the original composition impressed. Before he created in 1476 a bronze statue of David, expressive with living ideal of beauty. His Putto with Dolphin clearly shows the spiral pose that knows no preferred viewing direction and should be decisive to the Baroque period. Even with the unfinished grave relief of Cardinal Forteguerri takes Verrocchio the theatrical effects of the Baroque sculptor anticipated. From 1478, a terracotta relief of the Virgin Mary dates (now in the Bargello in Florence).
Among his most impressive works is the bronze group of Christ and Thomas in Or San Michele, which combines technical excellence with a flair for composition and emotion. Also leading the way is the Colleoni, who was cast only after his death by the finished clay model. The fascinating equestrian statue is enough to evoke the idea of a whole army, the nachdrängt the commander. Should not be overlooked even his - inspired by antique collection of Medici - Portrait busts, combine the naturalism and idealization.
Importance
Verrocchio was far more a sculptor than a painter. His works are characterized by a sense of reality from, through increased attention to light and shadow effects and interpenetration of figure and space, and thus gave decisive impulses for the ( Florentine ) style of the High Renaissance. He released the figures ( particularly evident in the case of the putto ) from its binding to a view from a point of view, which in sculpture opened the way to Mannerism and Baroque. The Colleoni influenced the development of equestrian statues to the 19th century.
As a painter he was more of an incomparably stimulating teacher as an innovator. However, he was probably among the first who used the aerial perspective in the landscape representation.