In the sculpture “Lady with Flowers” by Andrea del Verrocchio, the woman’s face is somewhat tense, and her head is slightly tilted, her hands - a particularly important element of the portrait bust - lie on her chest. Soft folds of clothes are created by the hand of a real master. Although the Florentine artists of the Renaissance were quite skilled in many artistic techniques, the versatility of Verrocchio's talent was exceptional.
Andrea del Verrocchio studied jewelry, was a painter, sculptor and one of the most educated artists of the Renaissance. The workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence was exceptionally prolific. Jewelers, sculptors and painters studied here. among which were such excellent artists as Perugino and, especially, Leonardo da Vinci. The fall in demand for jewelry prompted Andrea del Verrocchio to turn to decorative carving (one of the first works of the artist in this area was the decoration of the chapel of the cathedral in Orvieto in 1461) and tempera painting.
In 1465, Andrea del Verrocchio created the tombstone of Cosimo Medici, and from the mid-1460s he worked on the sculptural composition The Assurance of Thomas. From 1467 Verrocchio carried out the orders of the Medici, the rulers of Florence. In the work of Verrocchio, realistic tendencies that developed in the Florentine school of the 15th century were combined with aristocratic refinement and exquisite decorative forms, anatomical accuracy and thoroughness of modeling - with a sharp and elegant angularity of lines.
Verrocchio is the author of tombstones (Giovanni and Piero Medici, bronze, colored marble, porphyry, 1412, Old Sacristy of the Church of San Lorenzo, Florence), statues (“David”, bronze, 1473–1475, National Museum, Florence), equestrian monuments ( monument to the condottiere B. Colleoni in Piazza Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, bronze, 1479–1488, cast in 1490), sculptural portraits accurate in characterization (bust of Giuliano Medici, terracotta, National Gallery of Art, Washington). The few paintings by Verrocchio are distinguished by the sharpness and accuracy of the drawing, the sculptural form in the modeling of forms (“Madonna”, around 1470, Art Gallery, Berlin-Dahlem). Verrocchio was a teacher of many Italian artists - Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino and others.
In 1476, Andrea del Verrocchio created a statue of David. This graceful bronze statue has become a symbol of the humanist Renaissance culture. It was intended for the Medici villa, but in 1576 Lorenzo and Giuliano transferred it to the Signoria Palace in Florence. One of the students in Verrocchier's workshop was the young Leonardo da Vinci. The famous drawings and paintings of Leonardo are largely based on the teacher's style.
Leonardo executed the details for some of Andrea del Verocchio's paintings and sculptures. Although Verrocchio may have trusted the young Leonardo to draw some minor details in his earlier works, it was most likely in The Baptism of Christ that he first allowed Leonardo to draw a complete figure. A small, blue-clad angel, in fact, announced to Florence the birth of a genius in Italian art, and, perhaps, in the history of mankind. In 1482, Verrocchio left for Venice to work on an equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. The artist died there in 1488, without completing the sculptural work he had begun.
Andrea del Verrocchio was an Italian painter, sculptor and goldsmith of the Early Renaissance period. He maintained a large workshop, in which some of the most famous creators of the era were trained. According to one version, the nickname Verrocchio, which from the Italian vero occhio means "precise eye", the master received thanks to his skillful achievements and excellent eye. Few paintings are attributed to him with complete certainty. For the most part, Andrea del Verrocchio is known as an excellent sculptor, and his latest work, the equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleni in Venice, is considered one of the world's masterpieces.
Family
He was born in Florence between 1434 and 1437 in the parish of Sant'Ambrogio. His mother Gemma gave birth to eight children, among which Andrea was the fifth. His father, Michele di Choni, made tiles and later worked as a tax collector. Andrea never married and helped provide for some of his siblings. It is known that one of his brothers - Simone - became a monk, and then the abbot of the monastery of San Salvi. Another brother was a textile worker, and a sister married a hairdresser. The first document, where the name of the artist appears, dates back to 1452 and is associated with a lawsuit on charges of killing a fourteen-year-old boy Antonio Domenico with a stone, in which Andrea was found not guilty. On this, in fact, all the factual data about the personal life of Andrea del Verrocchio ends.
Period of study
At first he was a jeweler's apprentice. There is no information about this period, but it is believed that he began working in the jewelry workshop of Giuliano Verrocchi, whose changed name, perhaps, Andrea later took as a pseudonym. It is possible that Verrocchi was also his first teacher.
There is an assumption that Verrocchio later became a student of Donatello, for which there is no evidence, and which contradicts the style of his early works. The beginning of painting practice dates back to the mid-1460s, when Andrea del Verrocchio, under the direction of Filippo Lippi, worked in the choir of the Prato Cathedral. According to a more convincing version, it was Lippi who taught Andrea as an artist.
Years of activity
It is known that Verrocchio was a member of the Guild of St. Luke, and his workshop was located in Florence, considered the center of art and science in Italy. In an effort to master the various artistic techniques developed at that time in Florence, the master organized his workshop as a multi-purpose enterprise. Paintings, sculptures and jewelry were created here, which met the requirements of customers and patrons.
The fame of the artist increased significantly when Andrea del Verrocchio was received at the court of Piero and Lorenzo Medici, where the master remained until a few years before his death he moved to Venice. At the same time, he retained the Florentine workshop, leaving it to one of his students - Lorenzo Credi. At the end of his life, Andrea opened a new workshop in Venice, where he worked on the statue of Bartolomeo Colleni. In the same place, in Venice, the master died in 1488.
Students
The workshop of Verrocchio was obviously considered one of the best in Florence and was formed thanks to such students as Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Francesco Bottinini, Francesco di Simone Ferrucci, Lorenzo di Credi, Luca Signorelli, Bartolomeo della Gatta. The early works of Bottinini, Perugino and Ghirlandaio are difficult to distinguish from the painting of their master.
Three stories are connected with the name of one brilliant student of Verrocchio. It is believed that it was Leonardo who became the model for the statue of David, and Andrea Del Verrocchio captured the sarcastic smile of his apprentice on the bronze face. This assumption remains an unconfirmed legend, like another story concerning the painting "The Baptism of Christ", in the work on which the student surpassed his teacher. It is authentically known that there was a document, an anonymous complaint of sodomy, in which the young da Vinci was accused of participation during his apprenticeship.
Painting
At that time, the artists worked in the technique of tempera painting, which differed significantly from oil painting, which was only being developed. The image was applied with water-soluble paints on a board covered with soil, on which a canvas was sometimes glued, according to the principle of icon painting. Therefore, almost all of Verrocchio's paintings are made in tempera on the board. His style in painting is distinguished by realism and sensuality, strong, expressive, sometimes sharp, especially in contours, lines, a somewhat pretentious manner, reminiscent of Flemish painting. Due to the lack of a signature, there is considerable difficulty in identifying Andrea del Verrocchio's paintings, so not all works can be said with certainty to be his.
- "Madonna and Child" (1466-1470; 75.5 x 54.8 cm) - belongs to the early independent works. Located in the art gallery in Berlin.
- Nursing Madonna with Two Angels (1467-1469; 69.2 x 49.8 cm) - was attributed to Verrocchio after its restoration in 2010 and is on display at the National Gallery in London.
- "Tobias and the Angel" (1470-1480; 84 x 66 cm) - was previously attributed to the brush of Pollaiolo or Ghirlandaio. Located in London's National Gallery.
- The Baptism of Christ (1475-1478; 180 x 152 cm) is the only known oil painting by Andrea del Verrocchio. Stored in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
- "Madonna di Piazza" (1474-1486) - performed jointly with Lorenzo di Credi and other students. The only painting with a signature was found in the Cathedral of Pistoia, where it is now kept.
- "Madonna and Child with Two Angels" (1476-1478; 96.5 x 70.5 cm) - is kept in the National Gallery in London.
- One of his early works - "The Enthroned Madonna with John the Baptist and Saint Donat" - remained unfinished. It was completed by di Credi when Verrocchio was in Venice at the end of his life.
We also know a few surviving copies made from the master's originals by his students, as well as a number of frescoes made in the workshop of Andrea.
"Baptism of Christ"
Andrea del Verrocchio, having received an order from the Benedictine monastery of San Salvi, attracted students to work, among whom was Leonardo. It was the largest painting by Verrocchio, and besides, it was executed with oil-based paints, in a technique little studied at that time.
In the angel, with its back turned and three-quarters of its face towards the observer, the hand of Leonardo is recognized by its special manner and softness of execution, different from the sharp lines of the teacher. The young genius is also credited with part of the landscape of the valley with the river, which is located above the angelic heads.
The biography of Verrocchio, compiled, tells how Andrea was so amazed by the skillful work of a student that he decided never to touch the brushes again. However, this is just a metaphor, since works written by Verrocchio after the "Baptism of Christ" are known.
Sculpture
In 1465, Andrea carved a bowl for washing hands in the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo. Between 1465 and 1467 he executed the tomb of Cosimo de Medici in the crypt under the altar of the church. In the same year, the Tribunal della Mercancia, the judicial body of the Guilds in Florence, commissioned Andrea to create a bronze group depicting Christ and St. Thomas for the central tabernacle, which Orsanmicele had recently acquired on the east facade. The sculptural group was put into place in 1483 and from the day it was opened it was recognized as a masterpiece.
In 1468, Verrocchio made for the Signoria of Florence a bronze candelabra 1.57 m high, installed in the Palazzo Vecchio, now in the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum. In 1472 he completed the monument to Piero and Giovanni de' Medici by enclosing the sarcophagus in an arch with a bronze net-like lattice. The sarcophagus is decorated with exquisite naturalistic elements, also cast in bronze.
"David"
In the early 1470s, Andrea Verrocchio made a trip to Rome, after which, starting from the second half of the decade, he devoted his work mainly to sculpture.
He created a bronze statue of David 126 cm high in 1475 for the Medici family, in particular the brothers Lorenzo and Giuliano, from whom the Florentine Signoria bought the sculpture in 1476. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the statue joined the ducal Uffizi collection. And around 1870, "David" became an exhibit among the sculptures of the Renaissance in the nascent exhibition of the National Museum of the Bargello. The statue is still there.
The sculpture is considered one of the best works of Andrea del Verrocchio. The master brilliantly managed to reproduce in his “David” an anatomically accurately modeled body of a teenager, as well as an expressive nuance of youthful bravado, which testifies to the sculptor’s understanding of psychological subtleties. The hypothesis that Leonardo, a new student of Verrocchio, posed for that work, is considered quite probable.
Other notable sculptures from the 1470s
In 1475, the master sculpted a refined half-length marble portrait of a lady with a bouquet, which is also called "Flora". And then he created the relief of the funeral monument of Francesca Tornabuoni for the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome.
Around 1478, Andrea created a winged Putto holding a dolphin. The sculpture was originally intended for the fountain of the Villa Medici, and the water was supposed to come from the mouth of a dolphin. Now the work is stored in the Florentine Palazzo Vecchio. In this work one can observe the dynamic naturalism inherent in Verrocchio, transforming bronze into soft, smooth forms of a smiling putto, frozen in an unstable dance position, with a mantle stuck to his back and a wet tuft of hair on his forehead.
Last work
In 1475, Condottiero Colloni, the former captain-general of the Venetian Republic, died and, in his will, left a significant part of his property to the republic, on the condition that his equestrian statue be erected in Piazza San Marco. In 1479, Venice announced that it would take over the legacy, but since the installation of statues in the square was prohibited, the sculpture would be placed in an open space in front of the Scuola San Marco.
A competition was organized to select a sculptor. Three contractors competed for the contract: Verrocchio from Florence, Alessandro Leopardi from Venice and Bartolomeo Vellano from Padua. Verrocchio made a model of the equestrian statue in wax, while others offered models in wood, black leather and clay. All three projects were presented before the Venetian commission in 1483, and Verrocchio received the contract. After that, he opened a workshop in Venice, where he worked for several years on a full-scale clay model. When the statue was left to take on a bronze form, in 1488 death overtook Andrea, before he had time to ebb. The great master bequeathed to his student Lorenzo di Credi to finish the work. But after a significant delay in the contract, the Venetian state entrusted the casting process to Alessandro Leopardi, who also made the pedestal. The statue was eventually installed in Venice, in Piazza Santi Giovanni de Paolo, near the cathedral of the same name in 1496, where it is today.
Andrea Verrocchio was buried in the Florentine church of Sant'Ambrogio. But now only the tombstone exists because his remains are lost. At the moment, it is known about 34 works made by the great creator and his workshop.
Verrocchio, Andrea del (Andrea di Michele Choni)
Belonging to the first of these paintings ( "Madonna with Angels") (Currently - Lorenzo di Credi “Madonna and Child with Angels”) one of the most powerful geniuses of the Renaissance, Andrea del Verrocchio (1435 - 1488), sculptor and painter, who initiated Leonardo da Vinci into the secrets of art, raises fundamental doubts. But this rather lifeless picture, approaching the work of a student of Verrocchio Lorenzo di Credi, deserves interest in the proportionality of the parts, characteristic of the last third of the 15th century, as well as some elegant details: the gestures of the musical angels, the pose of the Baby and the successful resolution of the entire compositional problem, inscribed in the correct circle.
Andrea del Verrocchio. Madonna and Child. Canvas, tempera, oil, translated from wood. 75x54 (oval). Inv. 5520. From the collection. A. K. Rudanovsky, St. Petersburg, 1919
From the book of Biographies of the most famous painters, sculptors and architects author Vasari Giorgio From the book Guide to the Art Gallery of the Imperial Hermitage author Benois Alexander Nikolaevich From the book Myths and Truths about Women author Pervushina Elena Vladimirovna From the book Petersburg: did you know that? Personalities, events, architecture author Antonov Viktor Vasilievich From the author's book From the author's book From the author's book From the author's book From the author's book From the author's book From the author's book From the author's book From the author's bookSarto, Andrea Del About the feminine lyrics of Andrea del Sarto, who brought some painful tenderness and something Germanic in mood to the Tuscan austerity, says the excellent painted picture of the master Madonna and Child, Saints Catherine, Elizabeth and John
From the author's book From the author's bookMichele Chiesa: from Como to St. Petersburg Keza, Cheza, Chiesa, Chiesa - this is how Chiesa, an Italian stone and square master, who worked in St. Petersburg and its environs for more than 40 years as an assistant to the largest architects of the Baroque and early Classicism, was called differently.
From the author's bookMichele Chiesa: from Como to St. Petersburg 1 RGIA. F. 468. On. 1. D. 3908. L. 52 vol. 2 RGIA. F. 467. Op. 2 (73/187). D. 100. L. 414v.; F. 470. Op. 4. D. 13. L. 1.3 RGADA. F. 10. On. 1. D. 550. L. 252; RGIA. F. 789. On. 1. D. 442. Kuchariants D.A. Antonio Rinaldi // Architects of St. Petersburg. XVIII century. SPb., 1997. S. 430.4 RGADA. F. 10. On. 1. D. 618. L. 157–158.5 RGADA.
own name Andrea di Michele Cioni (1435 or 1436-1488), Italian sculptor and painter of the early Renaissance.
Born in Florence. He studied with the jeweler Verrocchio. The fall in demand for jewelry prompted him to turn to decorative carving (one of the first works of the artist in this area - the decoration of the chapel of the cathedral in Orvieto in 1461) and tempera painting.
J. Vasari in his work "Biographies of the most famous painters" wrote: "... Andrea never remained idle and was always engaged in some kind of painting or sculptural work, sometimes he alternated one work with another, so that the same thing did not bother him so much , as happens with many....painted something, among others, an altarpiece for the nuns of St. Dominic in Florence, which, it seemed to him, came out very well with him, which is why, shortly after that, he painted another in the church of Santi Salvi for the Vallombrosa brothers, on which he depicted the baptism of Christ by John."
Most of Verrocchio's paintings are depictions of the Madonna and Child. The abundance of gold embroideries, brushes and luxurious jewelry in the costumes of the characters in his works is reminiscent of the artist's original craft. I will give here three of the famous reproductions of paintings by Verrocchio depicting the Madonnas. These are the paintings "Madonna", "Madonna and Child" and "Madonna with Saints John the Baptist and Donat".
Madonna, Circa 1470-1475, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Madonna and Child
Madonna with Saints John the Baptist and Donatus
From the paintings of Verrocchio G. Vasari cites three more paintings. These are "Tobiah and the Angel", "Saint Monica" and the last work of the artist "The Baptism of Christ".
Tobias and the Angel, 1470-1475
Saint Monica
One of the students in Verrocchier's workshop was the young Leonardo da Vinci.
Although Verrocchio may have trusted the young Leonardo to draw some minor details in his earlier works,yet most likely it was in The Baptism of Christ that he first allowed him to draw a complete figure. The little blue-clad angel essentially informed Florence that a new genius had arrived.Baptism of Christ - The Baptism of Christ_Uffi Gallery, Florence, Italy, 1473-75
Verrocchio, according to Vasari's account, was stunned
as he personally encountered a phenomenon that came from an unknown future. However, Leonardo not only announced himself as an angel - he also did this with the help of the image of the background of "Baptism", in which a foggy, mysterious depth anticipates the amazing that he will create in "Mona Lisa" and in "Madonna and Child with Saint Anna ".In 1463-1470, Verrocchio participated in the creation of church utensils for the Florence Cathedral: he made precious vestments (not preserved), a bronze candelabra and a gilded ball crowning the lantern of the dome ( The ball, placed in 1478 on the dome of the cathedral, was struck by lightning and replaced by another in 1602.).
In 1465, Verrocchio created a tombstone for Cosimo de' Medici; the master managed to catch and realize the desire of the duke to perpetuate his name. At the end of this work, he found patrons in the person of representatives of the Medici family.
In 1463-1487, Verrocchio completed the sculptural group The Assurance of Thomas (1476-1483, Florence, Orsanmichele Church; restored in 1986-1993), one of the customers of which was Piero Medici.
This group is one of the most perfect works of the master. The pattern of the folds of the clothes is extremely beautiful, they flow down freely and easily. The movements, gestures of the characters and their faces are unusually expressive. The face of Christ with curly hair is full of noble beauty. The face of Thomas resembles the images of young men created by the sculptor earlier. At the same time, it is characterized by great softness and roundness of forms, which enhance the charm of youth.
A connoisseur of Italian art S.O. Androsov notes: "The statues are cast and minted with exceptional finesse. The viewer almost physically feels the texture of drapery, hair, naked body. For example, hands with intensely pulsating veins and thin quivering fingers are wonderfully rendered. Verrocchio also pays great attention to purely decorative effects in processing bronze, admiring the shimmer of metal, the play of lights ... coming from the light falling on the sculpture."
In 1469, the master began work on the tomb of Piero and Giovanni Medici.
Tomb of Giovanni and Pietro Medici, 1467-1483
By order of Lorenzo Medici, the sculptor made sketches of standards and knightly armor for the tournaments of 1469, 1471 and 1475, created a bronze statue of David (1476, Florence, National Museum) and a sculptural composition of the Boy with a Dolphin for the fountain of the Medici Villa in Careggi.
Putto with a dolphin
In his composition "Boy with a Dolphin" (Putto with a Dolphin), a stunning effect of movement is manifested: legs, head, wings and a dolphin - all seem to have their own axes of rotation, and it seems that the figure will turn on the heel as soon as the viewer throws on her look.
An interesting but sad story is connected with a copy (?) of this sculpture. http://www.day.kiev.ua/43562/. I will quote here a small excerpt from their said article "... the bronze sculpture of a boy with a dolphin, which adorned the fountain in the park, has completely disappeared. Even the police were alarmed, and on time, since the priceless statue of “Putto with a Dolphin” (a symbolic image of Aphrodite) was found ... at a scrap metal collection point, where it was handed over for only ... 24 hryvnias. True, the dolphin no longer had a tail, and the boy had one wing. The sculpture belongs to Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488), one of the most famous Italian sculptors, in whose studio Leonardo da Vinci studied with many famous artists in Florence. In 1550, the famous Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari named Putto with a Dolphin among the five best works of the master, it was she who brought him recognition and fame. The sculpture was commissioned by Pietro Medici for Villa Coreggi. The figurine found in Staryi Rozdil is cast from the mold of the original. It is still unknown whether this is an author's copy, but, according to experts, it is safe to say that this is the only repetition made directly from the master's mold. Undoubtedly, while working on this work, the sculptor, who lived in the 15th century, turned to the traditions of the Hellenic sculpture. " Here is a photo of a sculpture found in a landfill
I will dwell in more detail on the bronze statue of David.
David, 1473
There is a legend, which modern art historians like to retell, that Verrocchio gave his David the face of a young Leonardo. But this legend is so romantic that it can hardly be believed.
The image of the victorious hero, so beloved in the Florentine Renaissance, was developed in this sculpture. If "David" by Donatello was self-absorbed and immersed in reflection, then the hero Verrocchio, as it were, poses in front of the viewer, admiring himself and radiating joy. Calm and smooth outlines give way to anxiety and detail. The statue is designed for a circular detour (“David” by Donatello was best read in the frontal plane) and continues the Renaissance line of separation of the sculpture from the wall.
In the 1470s and 1480s, Verrocchio's workshop became the largest artistic center in Florence. Not only Verrocchio's assistants worked there - Raffaello Botticini and Lorenzo di Credi, but also more experienced craftsmen, among whom were Pietro Perugino, Luca Signorelli, Francesco di Simone.
Around 1482, the artist left for Venice to work on an equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni.
Equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni, 1479, Bronze, Piazza Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice
The creation of a monument, after a preliminary competition in which, according to legend, took part Verrocchio, Bartolomeo Bellano of Padua and Alessandro Leopardi from Venice, was entrusted to Verrocchio. For the great Italian sculptor, Michelangelo's teacher, the equestrian monument to the condottiere was the last and the most significant sculpture that can still be seen in Venice today. Verrocchio worked on the statue for about 10 years, but never saw his work on a pedestal. He died at the age of 53, stricken with a sudden and unknown illness. The completion of the Colleoni monument, according to the last will of Verrocchio, was to be entrusted to Lorenzo di Credi, but the Venetian Senate commissioned the well-known foundry worker Alessandro Leopardi to complete the monument. In the summer of 1492, both figures - a horse and a rider - were cast by him, and on November 19, 1495, the monument was already in its place, in Piazza San Giovanni e Paolo. Despite the fact that Leopardi put his signature on the harness of Colleoni's horse, Florentine authors , who wrote about art in the first half of the 16th century, note that Verrocchio was the author of a clay model of the monument, which, due to death, could not be completed.
Verrocchio's rider and horse are one organism, concentrating and directing their joint energy forward. But in this organism, the predominance of one will is felt - the will of the rider. Standing up in the stirrups, he seems huge and controls the horse not only by will, but also by physical effort. Colleoni's face is to some extent a portrait, but the portrait features in the monument are dominated by the collective image created by Verrocchio. Before us is a leader, a commander, capable of commanding, making responsible and cruel decisions, and killing enemies. And above all, win. Colleoni is one of the "titans of the Renaissance" that the era spawned. . In 1504, Pomponius Gauricus criticized the Colleoni horse because "it looked like a flayed horse". There is some truth in this accusation. Indeed, Colleoni's horse is distinguished by a very detailed study of anatomy. Verrocchio seems to take pride in his skill in sculpting muscles and tendons. He completely avoids smooth, undivided planes, separating them with folds of tendons and muscles. However, it would be a mistake to see in such a detailed interpretation of the anatomy of the horse only the bravado of a virtuoso who is proud of his knowledge and skill. In Verrocchio, every proposed solution is based on subtle and deep calculation. Obviously, he was guided by the idea that, even placed on a high pedestal, the horse would be much closer to the viewer than the figure of the rider sitting on it. It is not known what kind of pedestal the sculptor planned for his monument, so we can only assume that he paid so much attention to the figure of the horse for a reason. An additional effect could also be given by contrasting the detailed interpretation of the horse's body with the total elaboration of Colleoni's armor. The horse created by Verrocchio is, first of all, concrete. He is hot and impetuous. It is no coincidence that he is one with his rider. He corresponds with his character and temperament to the Colleoni portrayed by Verrocchio.
Modern researchers unanimously recognize the Colleoni monument as Verrocchio's masterpiece, limiting Leopardi's creative participation in its creation to only details, for example, the study of the ornament on the horse's harness. Belongs to Alessandro Leopardi, apparently also the pedestal of the Colleoni monument and the choice of location for it.
The bronze condottiere erected by Verrocchio is a monument to the will, energy, determination, heroism of man. The sculptor glorified not only Colleoni, but created a vivid image of his contemporary - a man of action, accustomed to fight and win. And maybe there is something in Colleoni from Verrocchio himself, who struggled all his life with difficulties, stubbornly strove for new orders and won, with the power of his talent, competitors.
The death of Verrocchio also prevented the completion of the fountain project commissioned by the Hungarian king.
Of course, the materials presented here cannot fully reflect the diversity of Andrea del Verocchio's work, but such a goal was not set in this post. I hope I was able to at least partially and not very chaotically tell about the main milestones of his work. Information about Verrocchio's paintings (their description and history of creation) is practically absent in the materials available to me, so I apologize for the meager material.
In conclusion, I will give two more drawings by the artist, which characterize him as a great graphic artist.
Head of an angel_Circa 1470, Berlin, Engraving room Head of a woman with a complex hairstyle, 1475-1480
Andrea del Verrocchio (Andrea del Verrocchio, real name Andrea di Michele Cioni - Andrea di Michele Choni, and he took the name Verrocchio from his teacher, the jeweler Verrocchio) (1435, Florence - 1488, Venice) - Italian sculptor and painter of the Renaissance, one of teachers of Leonardo da Vinci.
The Florentine Andrea Verrocchio belongs to the galaxy of outstanding masters of the Renaissance. He was not as decisive an innovator as the great sculptors of the first half of the century - Donatello and Ghiberti, who opened new paths in this art. Verrocchio is not like such a revolutionary in sculpture as Michelangelo, who began working later, on the threshold of the 16th century. The historic site of Verrocchio is more modest, but it is highly worthy of respect. This master is, as it were, one of the links between the two periods of great upsurges in the art of sculpture in the Renaissance. Almost equally justified are the views of those who want to see in him a great pioneer who paved the last paths to the art of the "Golden Age", and those who consider him only a skillful follower of Castagno, Baldovinetti and even an imitator of Sandro Botticelli, who was nine years younger Andrea, but advanced in painting before his friend. Verrocchio is the heir to the creators of Renaissance sculpture, that is, the masters of the first half of the century, and the predecessor of the High Renaissance masters, one of whom (Leonardo da Vinci) was a direct student of Verrocchio.
Andrea del Verrocchio is known to us mainly as a sculptor. In the documents of the XV century, he is never mentioned as a painter. Few of his paintings have been preserved, and among them the only one that quite reliably belongs to him can be considered only the "Baptism of Christ" in the Florentine Academy.
Initially, Andrea was attached to sophisticated decorativeness, as he studied jewelry, he also turned to sculpture, in part because of the fall in demand for jewelry. But it was the hereditary jewelers of the Renaissance, who took up sculpture, had a considerable influence on the development of bronze cast plasticity. They knew how to use chasing and engraving, they knew how to grind metal and understood its specifics, and Verrocchio was one of the best metal connoisseurs. Bronze, with its strength and durability, which makes it possible to finish details with great precision, becomes his main material.
In 1465, Verrocchio created a tombstone for Cosimo de' Medici; the master managed to catch and realize the desire of the duke to perpetuate his name. At the end of this work, he found patrons in the person of representatives of the Medici family - it's like buying a lucky lottery ticket.
Tombstone over the grave of Cosimo de' Medici. 1465 Andrea del Verrocchio
Crypt. Tomb of Cosimo de' Medici. 1465 Andrea del Verrocchio
The "jewellery" of the artist's sculptural style first appeared in his bronze casting that adorns the tomb of Giovanni and Pietro Medici in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. This early work is an example of exquisite decorativeism.
Tomb of Pietro and Giovanni Medici. 1469-72 Andrea del Verrocchio. Marble, porphyry, bronze. San Lorenzo, Florence
In 1476 Andrea del Verrocchio created statue of David- an elegant bronze statue. It was intended for the Medici villa, but in 1576 Lorenzo and Giuliano transferred it to the Signoria Palace in Florence.
The brave young biblical shepherd who defeated the giant and cut off his head is depicted as seeing an elegant, slender young man. With his pose, costume, he resembles a virtuoso dancer from a court ballet rather than a poor shepherd and hero fighter. Verrocchio's skill in arranging the figure and choosing proportions, in finishing surfaces and details is almost of a jeweler's character.
Young David. 1473-75 Andrea del Verrocchio. Bronze. Bargello Museum, Florence
Young David. Detail. 1473-75 Andrea del Verrocchio. Bronze. Bargello Museum, Florence
Young David. Detail. 1473-75 Andrea del Verrocchio. Bronze. Bargello Museum, Florence
Tradition says that "David" was one of the most striking results of the spiritual union of Leonardo da Vinci's student and teacher Andrea del Verrocchio - they say, Leonardo himself posed for her. A kind of half-smile plays on the face of the bronze David, according to the same legend - which later became a distinctive feature of the style of Leonardo da Vinci.
In addition to the statue of David, commissioned by Lorenzo Medici, the sculptor made sketches of standards and knightly armor for the tournaments of 1469, 1471 and 1475 and a sculptural composition "Boy with Dolphin" for the fountain of the Villa Medici in Careggi.
Boy with a dolphin. Around 1470 Andrea del Verrocchio. Bronze. Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Lorenzo Medici. 1480 Andrea del Verrocchio. Painted terracotta. National Gallery of Art, Washington
Giuliano di Piero Medici. 1475-78 Andrea del Verrocchio. Terracotta (originally painted)
And extremely poetic, tender, subtle "Portrait of a Woman" 1475 from the National Museum of the Bargello in Florence. This is an extremely simple, without any pretensions and exaggerations - and a very human portrait. With delicate, fragile fingers, a young woman presses a bunch of flowers to her chest. This gives a special femininity and warmth to the image.
Woman with a bouquet. 1475-80s Andrea del Verrocchio. Marble. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence
Woman with a bouquet. Detail. 1475-80s Andrea del Verrocchio. Marble. National Museum of the Bargello, Florence
And one more portrait, in a similar style - very lively, gentle, with its own character:
Young woman. 1465-66 Andrea del Verrocchio. Marble. Frick Collection, New York
In the years 1463-1487, Verrocchio completed the sculptural group "Thomas' Persuasion"(1476-1483, Florence, Orsanmichele church; restored in 1986-1993), one of the customers of which was Piero Medici.
According to the Gospel of John, Thomas was absent at the first appearance of Jesus Christ to the other apostles and, having learned from them that Jesus had risen from the dead and came to them, he said: "If I do not see in His hands the wounds from the nails, and I will not put my finger into the wounds nails, and I will not put my hand into his side, I will not believe." Jesus, who appeared, allowed Thomas to put his finger into the wounds (according to some theologians, Thomas refused to do this, while others believe that Thomas touched the wounds of Christ, Thomas believed and said "My Lord and my God!".
Thomas' assurance. 1476-83 Andrea del Verrocchio. Bronze. Orsanmichele, Florence
In 1482, Verrocchio left for Venice to work on an equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni.
In this four-meter equestrian statue of the condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice, Verrocchio seems to compete with Donatello. In contrast to the stern grandeur of Gattamelatta, Verrocchio embodies in his Colleoni the image of a frantic, battle-ridden military leader. Standing up in his stirrups, the condottiere, as it were, examines the battlefield, ready to rush forward, dragging the troops behind him. His body is tense, his face is distorted by an expression of cruelty and blind rage, everything in his appearance speaks of an indomitable will to win. This interpretation reflected not only the desire for greater showiness of the monument, but also an interest in psychological characteristics, in conveying the state of a warrior at the time of the battle. In essence, what we have before us is not a specific living person, but a conditional image of a "mighty warrior."
Renaissance artists diligently studied the real human body, the laws of its structure, proportions and movements. By the end of the 15th century, artists were increasingly engaged in anatomical studies. Knowledge of the structure of the human body from the inside - its bones, tendons, muscles - made it possible to achieve special persuasiveness in the depiction of both naked and dressed figures, their movements. However, such a deepening of artists in the study of the human body had such a side effect as an increase in dryness in the interpretation of plastic masses. Andrea Verrocchio was just one of those who was especially prone to dryish, detailed and precise finishing of the details of the figure, face and costume. As if sensing some danger from this side, he tried to use an emphatically heroic and monumental principle as a counterweight.
Bartolomeo Colleone himself embodied in bronze is an Italian condottiere. Quite unprincipled - he served in Milan against Venice, then in Venice against Milan - but all this was quite consistent with the spirit of that time. After the successful conquests made under his leadership, the condottiere bequeathed his fortune to Venice on the condition that after his death a monument would be erected to him in Piazza San Marco (the Venetians had a ban on erecting monuments in the main square of the city). In order to receive a considerable inheritance from Colleoni, who died in 1475, the Venetian authorities cheated by erecting a monument to the commander - exactly the one that Verrocchio created - on the square in front of the Scuola San Marco, next to the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo .
Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni. 1481-1495 Andrea del Verrocchio. Bronze. Venice
The artist died in Venice in 1488, without completing the statue he had begun.
The few paintings by Verrocchio are distinguished by the sharpness and accuracy of the drawing, the sculptural form in the modeling of forms ( "Madonna", circa 1470, Art Gallery, Berlin-Dahlem) and the famous "Baptism of Christ" from the Uffizi Gallery.
Madonna and Child. 1470s Andrea del Verrocchio. State Museums, Berlin
The Baptism of Christ is Verrocchio's most famous painting. It was written in the early 70s. quattrocento, that is, at the end of the Early Renaissance in Italy, and in general is very typical of this era. In the depiction of figures, participants in the baptism scene, one can still feel the influence of the traditions of medieval painting. They appear incorporeal and flat, as if carved from dry hard material. Their movements and gestures are angular and stiff, as if they only move in two dimensions. Facial expressions are abstract and devoid of individuality. These are not living people, but symbolic images, majestic and spiritualized. The landscape in the background lacks perspective and looks like a picturesque scenery. And the landscape, and the figures, and the whole composition seem to be conditional.
On the left side of the picture, the figure of an angel involuntarily stands out for its naturalness and ease, written not by Verrocchio, but by his young student Leonardo da Vinci. This angel, so graceful in his kneeling and turning his head, with a deep and radiant look, is a creation of another era - the High Renaissance, a truly golden age of Italian art.
Baptism of Christ. 1472-75 Andrea del Verrocchio. Oil on wood. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Baptism of Christ. Detail from 1472-75 Andrea del Verrocchio. Oil on wood. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Quite famous is his painting "Tovy and the Angel" on a very popular plot at the time.
Tobius and the angel. 1470-80s Andrea del Verrocchio. Tempera. National Gallery, London
...One righteous man was suffering from an eye disease and was preparing for death. He asked his son Tobias to go to Media and collect some money for him, and the son sets off with his faithful dog. Tobius did not know the road well and found himself a fellow traveler who agreed to accompany him. Tobius was unaware that the fellow traveler he was fortunate enough to meet was the archangel Raphael. When they approached the Tigris River, Tobius decided to swim, but suddenly "the fish began to jump out of the water, as if they wanted to devour him. Then the angel said to him: Take the fish. And the young man lay down, holding the fish with his body and pulled it ashore." Following the instructions of the angel, Tobias fried the fish so that it could be eaten, separating the heart, liver and bile from it, for, as the angel said: "... touching the heart and liver, if the devil or an evil spirit overcomes someone, burn incense before that man or that woman, and then everyone will be at peace. As for bile, then anoint a person with an eyesore with it, and he will be healed. Since Tobias was constantly accompanied by an angel, his journey ended happily. He raised money for his father, and when he returned home, he restored his father's sight.
Very persuasive, unlike others Saint Jerome- without the obligatory lion, with a strange smile, surprisingly lively and surprisingly unearthly.
Saint Jerome. 1465 Andrea del Verrocchio. Gallery Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence
And an absolutely gorgeous drawing, sketch girl's head. Indeed, Leonardo da Vinci learned a lot from his teacher.
Girl's head (sketch). Andrea del Verrocchio. Drawing
I would also like to point out the so-called The perfect portrait of Alexander the Great- magnificent, original and extremely finely executed - one of the best examples of the artist's skill - a fantasy helmet, a screaming breastplate, wonderfully finished armor.
Perfect portrait of Alexander the Great. 1480s. Andrea del Verrocchio. Marble. Private collection
As already mentioned, Verrocchio died in Venice in 1488, without having had time to cast it in bronze and without completing the fountain project commissioned by the Hungarian king.
