London gallery name
Antonio Pollaiuolo ()
Bronze Statuettes
Antonio Pollaiuolo's background and skill as a goldsmith enabled him to respond to the taste for small bronze sculpture, which became more popular in the last third of the 15th century. The statuettes, frequently patinated to resemble antique bronzes, were meant for connoisseurs.
Two surviving works include Hercules and Anteus (, Uffizi) and Hercules (c, Frick Collection, New York).
Antonio del pollaiuolo biography of christopher columbus The Florentine brothers Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo were born some 10 years apart and started on different paths. Antonio trained as a goldsmith, and as a sculptor in the Ghiberti workshop. Piero trained as a painter, perhaps with Andrea dal Castagno. Antonio is usually considered the greater artist; he developed design skills which were the basis of the painting and sculpture for which he was famous. Antonio had his own workshop by and styled himself painter and sculptor.Painting: Study of Human Anatomy
Working closely throughout their lives, the two brothers famously preceded Leonardo da Vinci in dissecting human corpses to better understand anatomy, which became a defining skill in their work. Antonio was particularly skilled in depicting the human figure in action and this can be seen in his painting Hercules Clubs the Hydra (, Uffizi, Florence) and his only surviving engraving Battle of the 10 Nude Men (c, Uffizi).
Hercules Clubs the Hydra is a small panel, part of a set (other panels now missing) painted for Lorenzo de' Medici. Hercules is depicted fighting heroically, his body gripped in an agile mass of tense muscle. The muscles and tendons are painted down to the last detail. In Antonio's Battle of the 10 Nude Men, the figures are seen from different angles.
It was possibly used by other Renaissance sculptors in the workshop as a means of figure study. Fore-shortening techniques are employed and the muscles are clearly emphasised (Leonardo famously wrote that such muscle-rendering made figures appear like a 'sack of walnuts'). (See also Male Nudes in Art History.)
Note About Art Appreciation
To learn how to judge plastic artists like the Renaissance sculptor Antonio Pollaiuolo, see: How to Appreciate Sculpture.For later works, please see: How to Appreciate Modern Sculpture.
Painting: Surviving Works
The brothers also worked together on the painting Martyrdom of St Sebastian (, National Gallery, London).
Antonio del pollaiuolo biography of christopher paul: A St Christopher and the Infant Christ is in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. But it was as a sculptor and metal-worker that he achieved his greatest successes. The exact ascription of his works is doubtful, as his brother Piero [c] did much in collaboration with him.
Similar to Andrea del Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ, this is considered one of the best paintings of the entire quattrocento. The figures and landscape are rendered in a detailed and realistic manner. The muscles under the skin are visible and the figures look frozen in action, typical of Antonio Pollaiuolo's style who often borrowed poses from classical sculpture.
Although the painting is often attributed solely to Antonio, it is now believed that his brother also helped execute parts.
Antonio del pollaiuolo biography of christopher cross
Related e. Wikipedia Wiktionary Shop. He only produced one surviving engraving , the Battle of the Nude Men , but both in its size and sophistication this took the Italian print to new levels, and remains one of the most famous prints of the Renaissance. His brother, Piero , was also an artist, and the two frequently worked together. Their work shows both classical influences and an interest in human anatomy ; reportedly, the brothers carried out dissections to improve their knowledge of the subject.Other paintings include:
Portrait of a Young Woman (c, Staatliche Museen, Berlin).
Originally attributed to Piero della Francesca and then Domenico Veneziano, it is now considered the work of Antonio. The painter brings out the essential features of the young woman's face in profile. The features are delineated with the minimum of detail.
The use of heavy delineated line and contrasting colour-surface has been regarded as typical of Florentine painting.
David Victorious (c, Staatliche Museen)
Small panel showing David victoriously standing over the slain head of Goliath.
Portrait of a Young Woman (c, Uffizi, Florence).
Tempera on wood. As there is no signature on the work, it was originally attributed to Piero della Francesca, then Domenico Veneziano and Andrea del Verrocchio. The profile is of a lady, not a classical beauty. She is surrounded by a delicate lapis-lazuli blue background.
Her dress is perfectly rendered, details of the materials, textiles and jewels.
Study for an Equestrian Monument (c&#;83, Robert Lehman Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) Ink and wash drawing. This is a study for an equestrian monument. According to the biographer Giorgio Vasari who owned the sheet in the 16th century (and who may have added a dark wash around the figures), the sculpture was commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, in honour of his father, Francesco Sforza.
The subject of a victorious ruler on horseback is drawn from classical antiquity. The monument was never built.
Legacy
In Antonio Pollaiuolo bought a property near Pistoia and bought another near Florence in In his name first appeared in the register of Guild of Florentine painters.
Antonio del pollaiuolo biography of christopher His most characteristic works in his main media show largely naked male figures in complicated poses of violent action, drawing from classical examples and often centred on a heroic Hercules. He, or possibly his brother, was also a innovative painter of wide landscape backgrounds, perhaps having learnt from Early Netherlandish painting. He very often worked in collaboration with his younger brother Piero del Pollaiuolo c. According to Kenneth Clark , two factors have reduced his prominence in the modern view of Quattrocento art: the loss of his very large paintings of some of the Labours of Hercules , and "a name which looks difficult to pronounce". In his own day, and for several decades later, his "true position" as "one of the originating forces in the history of European art" was recognised.His success as an artist, both financially and critically was clear. Antonio died in His contribution to Renaissance art in Florence art lay in his searching analysis of the anatomy of the body, both in motion and under conditions of strain. He anticipated Leonardo da Vinci in this area.